Eyes of Light
by Higuchimon
Summary: [rewrite in the works; this fic will be removed & reuploaded when rewrite is ready] [au: canon divergence] Kouji didn't expect a lot of things. He didn't expect to find out his mother had died. Or that he had a twin brother. Or that he was being called to a new world to fight in a war. Or that said twin brother would get on the train with him. And that was just the beginning.
1. The Call From No One

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing involved in this story unless I invented it myself. This is written for fun, not for profit. All forms of feedback eagerly accepted. Concrit is loved the most, but everything is welcome.  
**Fandom:** Digimon Frontier  
**Title:** Eyes of Light: Chapter 1: The Call From No One  
**Character:** Minamoto Kouji, Kimura Kouichi  
**Word Count:** chapter: 2,214||story: 2,214  
**Genre:** Adventure, Friendship||**Rated:** PG-13  
**Challenge:** Diversity Challenge, section L, #13: a multichap that is a series or season rewrite; Random Character Is Your Hero Challenge; &amp; what-If: What if the twins' mother died before Kouichi met Kouji? &amp; What if Kouji was the one searching for Kouichi?  
**Notes:** I don't know if this will have Kouji x Kouichi in it yet or not. The story will tell me in due time. This is going to be a rewrite of Digimon Frontier and it will _mostly_ follow the course of canon, but through Kouji's eyes. Some events will turn out differently, for various reasons, ranging from the type of what-ifs I chose as the basis for this to something I think should've happened differently.  
**Summary:** Kouji didn't expect a lot of things. He didn't expect to find out his mother had died. Or that he had a twin brother. Or that he was being called to a new world to fight in a war. Or that said twin brother would get on the train with him. And that was just the beginning.

* * *

Kouji dug his hands into his jacket pockets as he stared at the slender grave marker in front of him. He'd asked his father about where his mother had been buried a time or two in the past, but Minamoto Kousei always found a way to avoid answering. Now Kouji knew why.

He wanted to say something now that he was here. He'd dreamed for years, ever since he'd been old enough to know what death actually was, about what he'd say if and when he ever found where her ashes had been interred. But standing here staring at her name on the marker, he couldn't find a single word on his lips.

His stepmother had suggested he burn a little incense and he had some with him, but the thought of actually lighting it would make this all too real. Too immediate.

"Hi, mom," he murmured suddenly, not sure of where the words came from, but not objecting to them. "Uh, I'm Kouji. Your son. Kouji. The other one."

He'd never been so glad no one else was around in his life. He'd always _liked_ being alone, but now he was so very glad that he was, because he didn't think he'd heard something so stupid coming out of anyone's mouth in all of his life.

He swallowed and tried again. "I wish I'd known you before. I mean, dad – he told me that you were – that this happened when I was really little." Kouji scraped for the words that he needed, to say what swirled and boiled at the heart of him.

Again the words deserted him and he fidgeted, staring harder, as if doing so would make all of this make some kind of sense. For lack of anything else, he stared at the names carved onto the monument, the names of those relatives who still walked among the living, marked in red.

_Kimura Kouichi._ His father had told Kouji about him as well, the twin brother he'd never known that he had. It sounded almost like something out of a movie somewhere, twin sons separated when the couple divorced, though he knew this kind of thing happened at times.

"I really wanted to meet you," Kouji murmured, gaze dropping down to the incense bowl. Maybe he'd try lighting what he'd brought anyway? "I've _always_ wanted to meet you."

This wasn't what he'd wanted. This wasn't what was _right_. To think he'd only found out about the family he didn't know because his dad ended up feeling _guilty_! Thick anger choked in Kouji's throat and tears stung in his eyes.

Today was their anniversary – his dad and stepmom – and he'd meant to buy some flowers for her. He'd thought about it for over a week before his dad pulled him to the side and told him he had some bad news. And now instead of being at the flower shop, he stood here, a confusing twist of anger and relief twirling around inside of him.

"I miss you. I never knew you and I miss you," he whispered, barely loud enough to hear himself. "And I wish I could've said this to you. I wish I could've said _everything_ to you."

His phone rang.

Kouji jerked, eyes going wide, then shook his head for a second. He didn't believe in ghosts. It was just a weird coincidence. Someone who had no sense of timing. There weren't that many people who had his number anyway. Just his dad and stepmom anyway.

Which meant this could be something important. He pulled his phone out and checked it, blinking when no actual number revealed itself on the screen. Somewhat curiously, he tapped the answer button.

"_Minamoto Kouji._" It was a woman's voice. It wasn't his stepmom, either. He swallowed, fighting back a strange sense of foreboding that rippled through him. "_All of your questions can be answered, Kouji, if you are willing to take a train._"

The screen resolved into two words, yes and no. Again the voice spoke. "_Are you willing?_"

He swallowed again, though this time his mouth was far drier than the first. "Who are you?"

"_You will know only if you come. Will you come?_"

It couldn't possibly be her. Ghosts weren't _real_. But the thought of answers to all of those questions that rang and whistled in the back of his mind called to him far more than anything else did.

And one of those questions was _could you possibly be my mother?_

He tapped the 'yes', which instantly faded away along with the 'no', replaced now by another message, giving a train station and a time. He took another look; he didn't have a lot of time to catch it, but if he hurried, he should get there in time.

Kouji left the graveyard so fast that he didn't notice a pair of eyes identical to his own, save for the anger burning in them, following him.

* * *

He made it to the train on time. It wasn't as hard as he'd thought, and he actually had plenty of time. Finding a seat was harder, though, and he finally decided just to lean up against the wall and wait until he got to his stop.

_Should I call Dad?_ No. He made up his mind on that in a heartbeat. He didn't know where he was going, in all honesty, and while his dad trusted him, he didn't want to try to explain that he was going somewhere he didn't know because of a strange phone call from someone who might or might not be his deceased mother.

_It isn't, though. Pretty sure they don't have cell phone reception in the afterlife._

He glanced briefly at his phone, wondering just who it was on the other end if it wasn't his mother. How could they claim to know the answers to his questions? He wasn't even certain of what all of the questions were!

That was part of the reason he was doing this, he knew. Not just to find out what those answers were, but to find out who it was that had those answers in the first place. And why they would have those answers when he didn't.

Even as he looked, the phone beeped softly, and more instructions appeared on the screen, telling him where to go once he reached the train station.

Another beep sounded, but not from his phone this time. _Funny, that sounded like - _He glanced up and saw a kid of about his own age not that far away, and he was looking at his phone too. _Huh._

A faint prickle touched the back of his neck, as if someone were looking at him. He ignored it; this was the train. The amount of people who weren't looking at someone could probably be counted on his fingers with plenty left over. He'd used this train a few times before and he even thought he saw a familiar face or two. No one he _knew_, but familiar hairstyles and a facial feature or two.

But the prickle didn't ease up and he found himself wondering if he should turn around and look behind himself. After that phone call…

_After that phone call, you're being paranoid,_ he scolded himself and checked to see how much farther he had to go.

* * *

People flooded off the train, Kouji among them, though instead of rushing along, he moved carefully and quietly, looking for an unused elector. He spied one and made his way over there, weaving his way through the crowd with the ease of one who prefers not to be seen and has perfected the art of doing so.

The elevator doors had just begun to close when he heard a sharp cry of "Wait! Wait! Hold the elevator!" A look up showed – well, it was that guy again. The one from the train.

Kouji didn't hold the elevator. This was his special trip and he didn't really feel like sharing it with anyone else. If by some chance the guy had the same message that he did, then, well… this wasn't the only elevator going down.

The kid made it in the nick of time and Kouji mentally rolled his eyes as the elevator began to go down. A hint of movement at the doors caught his eye before they were totally out of sight, and he thought he saw someone looking in. _Sorry. You'll have to wait for the next elevator._ He kind of felt for the stranger up there, just a little. He wouldn't have held the door, but he knew how annoying it was to miss one's ride.

At least the one who'd made it in with him wasn't trying to small talk him, much less be annoyed at Kouji not having held the door. That was good enough for Kouji. He hadn't yet met a handful of people that he would want to talk to in his entire life and he doubted that would change any time soon.

And the one he'd really wanted to talk to had died before he could even meet her. He wasn't going to have dealt with that for a long time, he felt.

At the bottom, he moved out of the elevator as soon as the doors open, checking out the area. Two things dominated his field of vision: trains and kids. All of the latter stared at the former, murmuring amongst themselves. At least it wasn't the other way around. Talking trains? Not all that likely.

So he had to pick a train to get to his next stop, wherever that was. He paused in an out of the way spot, looking at them all, trying to decide.

_That one._ He picked it because of one simple reason: no one else was near that train, which meant he'd probably have it to himself. That suited Kouji just fine.

* * *

Soon enough, the trains began to pull out to whatever their destination might be. Kouji didn't go inside yet, standing just outside the doors and giving anyone who came near this train a look that warned them off. Kouji didn't share well with others. He never had.

The kid he'd noticed on the other train had made it to one of these down here, and their eyes met for a few seconds. Kouji mentally sniffed, then as the trains vanished into the tunnels, headed inside. He didn't know how long this trip would be, but it probably wasn't a bad idea to sit down.

He stared at his phone as he did, wondering. This was getting stranger by the minute. Finally he shrugged and slipped it into his pocket. There wasn't much that he could do about it at the moment, not now that he'd started on this wild ride. He would see it through to the end, no matter what. He wanted answers and since the last time it had taken his mother _dying_ to worm anything at all out of his dad, a trip to who knew where didn't sound like such a bad deal to get them.

The train picked up speed. Kouji leaned back on the seat, relaxing. He considered taking a nap until they got to wherever they were going, and was on the verge of closing his eyes when he heard the door to the train compartment open up.

_Great. I didn't think anyone else got on this one._ He glanced up toward the door in mild curiosity and froze where he sat. That… this couldn't be. It just _couldn't_ be.

Standing in the doorway, trembling and breathing hard, eyes wide and staring at Kouji, stood someone who could've been Kouji's own mirror image, dressed in different clothes. He clutched a blue cap in his hands as if it were some kind of a lifeline.

"Are you… are you Minamoto Kouji?" he asked, staring still but not entirely meeting Kouji's eyes. "Please tell me if you are."

Kouji stood up, noting as he did that they were to within a hair's breadth of each other's heights. "So what if I am? Who are you?" He thought he didn't need to ask. There was only one person this could be, after all.

_"Your mother and I divorced when you were about a year old. I shouldn't say just you, though. Kouji… I should've told you this. I thought it made sense at the time not to. But I'm beginning to think I was wrong. You have a brother. A twin brother. His name is..."_

"I'm Kouichi. Kimura Kouichi."

Kouji took a step closer to the other. To Kouichi. He'd wanted so much to meet his brother from the moment his father told him. But finding out about his mother at the same time had taken precedence. At least until now.

The train surged ahead again, throwing them both off of their feet, and a flash of warmth from his pocket distracted Kouji for a few seconds. He fumbled into it, expecting to pull out his phone, and instead a completely different device met his eyes. It was as navy blue as his hair and eyes, and yet it was nothing that he'd ever seen in his life. "What in the..."

Today, he thought, could not possibly get any stranger.

**To Be Continued**

**Note:** At times in Japan, a family grave marker will have the names of the living relatives marked on it in advance, painted over in red, which is removed when they die and their ashes are interred there.


	2. Heart of a Hero

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing involved in this story unless I invented it myself. This is written for fun, not for profit. All forms of feedback eagerly accepted. Concrit is loved the most, but everything is welcome.  
**Fandom:** Digimon Frontier  
**Title:** Eyes of Light: Chapter 2: Heart of a Hero  
**Character:** Minamoto Kouji, Kimura Kouichi  
**Word Count:** chapter: 2,142||story: 4,356  
**Genre:** Adventure, Friendship||**Rated:** PG-13  
**Challenge:** Diversity Challenge, section L, #13: a multichap that is a series or season rewrite; Random Character Is Your Hero Challenge; &amp; what-If: What if the twins' mother died before Kouichi met Kouji? &amp; What if Kouji was the one searching for Kouichi?  
**Notes:** I don't know if this will have Kouji x Kouichi in it yet or not. The story will tell me in due time. This is going to be a rewrite of Digimon Frontier and it will _mostly_ follow the course of canon, but through Kouji's eyes. Some events will turn out differently, for various reasons, ranging from the type of what-ifs I chose as the basis for this to something I think should've happened differently.  
**Summary:** Kouji didn't expect a lot of things. He didn't expect to find out his mother had died. Or that he had a twin brother. Or that he was being called to a new world to fight in a war. Or that said twin brother would get on the train with him. And that was just the beginning.

* * *

Kouji decided he'd worry about whatever it was his cell phone had turned into later. Right now, Kimura Kouichi, the twin brother he'd never known he had until less than a week ago, stumbled back to his feet and lifted his head to stare at him with that same look of confusion that Kouji suspected marked his own face.

_I have a brother._ He'd known it since his father told him, but he hadn't really thought about what it meant until now. He still wasn't thinking about what it meant, only that this person who stood only a few feet away was that brother.

He steadied himself on the seat, not moving toward Kouichi but not away either. A thousand questions flamed bright in his mind but he couldn't decide on which one to ask.

Kouichi beat him to it anyway. "Why were you in the cemetery? I saw you there."

Kouji frowned; he hadn't been at his most alert, but he'd somewhat thought he would have seen someone there. Unless Kouichi had been hiding. "I wanted to … to ..." He wasn't certain if 'pay his respects' was the proper way to say it, even though that had been what he was doing. He also wasn't certain if 'saying good-bye' meant anything when he had never been able to say hello in the first place.

"I just heard about what happened last week," he said at last, hands tightening on the back of the seat. "I had to see it. I had to see her."

"Why?" Kouichi took a step forward, his own hands clenching and unclenching, something bright shining in his eyes. "Why didn't you ever come before? Why didn't any of you come before?"

The way he asked that struck Kouji hard in the heart. He couldn't look at him. He'd never been fond of looking at other people to start with, and this face, so like his own and yet not in this moment, didn't make him want to get started.

"I didn't because I didn't know. Dad told me that she...she passed away when I was just a baby, and he _never_ told me anything about you." Kouji stared out the window, wondering how his life had become so unutterably complicated in just a few minutes.

Kouichi drew in a breath to say something, only for a different voice from the two of them to interrupt.

"We're coming to the Flame Terminal in just a few minutes! Better get ready to get off! Your trip is just getting started!"

Kouji decided he wasn't going to care about how strange anything got, because quite clearly the universe was out to top itself every time he thought the peak had been reached. "Who are you?"

"I'm your train! The name's Angler!"

Kouichi rubbed at his eyes, looking out the window, then rubbed them again. "This… this train didn't look like this back at the station, did it?"

Kouji took a look outside himself, leaning so he could see the front of it. While the train remained the same shade of blue, now it had a face, and a light bulb hanging from some kind of a pole on its head.

He grabbed onto what the train had said – who cared if trains couldn't talk, or shouldn't talk – and asked the first question on his mind right now. "What do you mean, Flame Terminal?"

"That's where I'm dropping you off! And we're here!"

The train pulled to a stop, the door opening. Whatever else was out there couldn't be seen through the haze of steam and fog. Kouji glanced at Kouichi, who glanced right back to him.

_Well, we can't stay here forever,_ Kouji decided, and headed off the train. As soon as he stood on the terminal floor, he pulled that device out of his pocket and looked at it. Maybe that woman had some advice on what to do now?

As if on cue, the screen on the device brightened, and her voice spoke. "_You must find the Spirits. Only then will you begin to truly answer the questions that surround both of you._"

Kouji's head snapped up like a hound catching a scent. "Both of us?" He looked toward Kouichi, whose eyes had to have become twice as wide as they were before. How had she known about him? Could she see them?

"_Minamoto Kouji. Kimura Kouichi. Your destinies are tied together. Find the Spirits and the answers will be yours._"

The screen faded away. Kouji suspected they wouldn't get any more answers out of her right now and started to put the device away. Before he could, however, it brightened once more.

"What now?" he muttered. This time, instead of a voice, something that reminded him greatly of a map appeared, made of green and black light, surrounded by yellow stripes, with a small sphere of blue shimmering over one corner of it.

Kouichi leaned over to take a look. "Maybe that's where one of those Spirits are? Whatever they are?" He looked as baffled as Kouji, but it was the only idea between the two of them.

Kouji nodded, looking around the place as he did. "I guess we're going to have to stick together." They'd barely even begun to talk to each other. Wherever they were, Kouji didn't want Kouichi to vanish into thin air. He didn't know _how_ to talk to a brother. He didn't know how to be a brother. He wasn't even sure if he wanted to be one. But there was Kouichi, whether he wanted to be one or not, and he was just going to have to deal with it.

He looked back to the map in his hands. "I think it's this way." He gestured; the direction indicated seemed to lead off through the metallic Flame Terminal and into deeper woods, if the trees rising beyond it were any indication.

Together, the two of them headed out.

* * *

Kouichi's skin prickled at the thought of walking next to his brother. It wasn't a bad prickle at all; it kind of made him feel good, feel right. Like he belonged beside Kouji. He didn't want to _not_ be there, no matter how upset he was at never having seen or heard of him until his mother's death.

The only problem was, he had no idea of where 'there' was or what was going on. He'd spied Kouji in the cemetery and followed him to the bus and from there to here.

"Kouji?" he asked, voice quavering as they walked through what looked like some kind of village for very tiny people. "What is this place? Where are we?"

Kouji glanced at him, curiosity written in his eyes now. "You didn't get the message?"

"What message?"

His brother stared at him a little harder, then shrugged, tapping that thing he'd pulled out of his pocket. "This used to be my cell phone. I got a call while I was at the cemetery and was told to come here."

Under most other circumstances, Kouichi would've at least considered walking away slowly from someone who followed a mysterious call to a train that ended up being able to talk and then started following a weird map to find something they could only define as 'spirits'. But since he'd followed someone he hadn't even known for certain _was_ his brother, just because they looked alike, he didn't think he had a lot of room to talk.

"So what are you going to do here?" This clearly wasn't their world. It wasn't a place Kouichi had ever imagined could exist, but it did.

Kouji shrugged. "Find those Spirits." He said nothing about what that strange voice had said and Kouichi wondered if he even wanted to know himself.

_So that's what he's doing. But what about me?_ With no call to answer, and just the desire to find out about his brother and father, what could he do in this world?

Right now, the only thing he could think to do was follow along with Kouji. Maybe he'd figure out something to do later. Maybe there was even a Spirit for him, even if he hadn't been called here.

* * *

The sound of laughter echoed around. Kouji ignored it at first; he'd heard more than enough kids laughing around his neighborhood when he took his dog for a walk to ignore it now. The ones around him always knew not to try to talk to him.

_I'm not at home anymore._ He looked up just in time to see a small boy, probably around eight or nine, running by, with a larger boy beside him. Neither of them noticed either of the twins, intent on going wherever they were headed as fast as they could get there.

"No problem of mine," he muttered half to himself as he followed the map's indicator. Kouichi didn't move as he did, though, his eyes still following the two strangers.

"Kouji, should we go talk to them? Maybe they know about those spirits."

Kouji didn't even think about it. He shook his head at once. "They're just playing around." People who were looking for Spirits probably wouldn't be doing it like that.

His brother didn't look very convinced, but Kouji didn't waste his time thinking about that. He kept on going until he was out of the village area and into the forest. Tall trees rose up in every direction, and the few buildings scattered about were no longer made of metal, but brick and stone.

_I don't know if you could even call these buildings. More like ruins, really._

Regardless, the map led the two of them through all of it, until they arrived at something that was very definitely a ruined building, with trees growing all over it. The advance of nature had missed one crucial point, however: a set of stairs that led downward.

Kouji only hesitated for a few moments before he started downward, Kouichi a few steps behind him. Both of them looked around curiously the farther down they went.

"What kind of a place is this?" Kouichi wondered, wrapping his arms around himself. Stray beams of light crossed this way and that, but didn't do much to illuminate the area.

"I don't know. I'm not even sure of what a Spirit is, let alone if one of them is supposed to be in here." He suspected, given that the map had led them here, but he didn't know. He hoped that he hadn't been led on some wild goose chase.

Kouji expected the stairs to lead to somewhere with a lot more space and preferably light. He'd never been afraid of the dark, but an instinct he couldn't name said that this place should have much more light in it than it did. _Maybe I should've brought along a flashlight?_

Instead of light, however, the stairs ended in a blocked off exit. He stared at it, arms folded over his chest for a second, judging just how strong the barrier was. A quick touch of his fingers told him it was more metal, like what they'd seen back in the terminal.

"What are we going to do? Just go back up?" Kouichi asked from behind him. "This looks like a dead end."

"I don't think so," Kouji muttered. "Stand back."

As soon as Kouichi gave him room, Kouji leaned back and kicked the blockage with all of his strength. A square of metal collapsed inward, showing much more light, and best of all, fresh air sweeping in beyond it.

"This place is strange," Kouichi murmured, leaning over Kouji's side to see what was going on below.

Kouji nodded, eyes scanning here and there for anything that might be a Spirit. He thought it might help if he knew what one actually was or at least what they looked like. But only emptiness met his gaze.

At least until he heard cries of shock and fear, and the same two kids that they'd seen above careened into the round room below, fleeing a small army of what looked like…

"Are those… fuzzy heads?" Kouichi asked, staring in utter fascination. "They look like fuzzy heads to me."

"Something like that," Kouji replied. He was more concerned about what those fuzzy heads and the teeth attached to them were doing to the kids.

It probably wasn't right to call a guy who looked at least a year or so older than he was a kid, but with how he howled for help, Kouji just couldn't think of anything else to call him. Except lunch, but that would mean that he actually got eaten.

And that wasn't going to happen. Not on Kouji's watch. With no more of a thought than that, he leaped downward, caring only that people needed help, and he was able to give it.

**To Be Continued**

**Note:** Just FYI, Kouji's battle against the Pagumon/Raremon is one of my favorites, because it established Kouji as an epic badass from even before he got his Spirit. So I may linger a bit on that one next chapter. Possibly expand on it. We'll see how it rolls next time.


	3. Battle Against Fur and Oil

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing involved in this story unless I invented it myself. This is written for fun, not for profit. All forms of feedback eagerly accepted. Concrit is loved the most, but everything is welcome.  
**Fandom:** Digimon Frontier  
**Title:** Eyes of Light: Chapter 3: Battle Against Fur and Oil  
**Character:** Minamoto Kouji, Kimura Kouichi  
**Word Count:** chapter: 2,144||story: 6,500  
**Genre:** Adventure, Friendship||**Rated:** PG-13  
**Challenge:** Diversity Challenge, section L, #13: a multichap that is a series or season rewrite; Random Character Is Your Hero Challenge; &amp; what-If: What if the twins' mother died before Kouichi met Kouji? &amp; What if Kouji was the one searching for Kouichi?  
**Notes:** I don't know if this will have Kouji x Kouichi in it yet or not. The story will tell me in due time. This is going to be a rewrite of Digimon Frontier and it will _mostly_ follow the course of canon, but through Kouji's eyes. Some events will turn out differently, for various reasons, ranging from the type of what-ifs I chose as the basis for this to something I think should've happened differently.  
**Summary: **Kouji didn't expect a lot of things. He didn't expect to find out his mother had died. Or that he had a twin brother. Or that he was being called to a new world to fight in a war. Or that said twin brother would get on the train with him. And that was just the beginning.

* * *

"What is he doing?" Kouichi had just time enough to murmur the question, staring at his twin, who seemed to have spontaneously developed some kind of superhero complex. He had no idea of what those fuzzy heads were, but he saw _lots_ of teeth and he wouldn't have wanted to get them upset at him.

Kouji, on the other hand, didn't seem to care at all. With a wild battle cry he leaped downward, landing next to a tall metal pole. Kouichi couldn't see his face from where he stood, but the confident set of Kouji's shoulders and the certainty with which his brother kicked off a piece of the pole to form a makeshift staff told him all that he needed to know.

Kouichi watched. There was nothing else he could do; he didn't know how to fight. There hadn't ever been enough money for any kind of lessons.

A small, sharp stab of jealousy situated itself in his chest. Kouichi pushed it away, or tried to, at least. Now wasn't the time or the place.

Kouji charged toward the creatures, sweeping them to the side with sharp, strong blows of his staff. Tiny cries of pain whiffed through the room, followed by whispers of amazement. Kouichi tracked those and saw the two kids who'd come in here, both of them staring at Kouji with hero worship written all over their faces.

_That's my brother,_ he thought, a slight grin twitching his lips upward. He didn't want to take his eyes off Kouji for too long, though. They scarcely know each other, and he wanted to see what his brother could do.

* * *

Small, solid bodies met the end of Kouji's staff one after the other. He'd never been fond of hurting anyone, especially those smaller than himself, but these things were not ordinary opponents. Each one boasted a mouth full of sharp teeth capable of tearing through flesh in a matter of seconds. He'd seen bite marks on those two, tiny drips of blood marring their clothes and flesh.

Kouji didn't like to hurt people, but he also didn't like bullies, and he knew one when he saw one, even if they didn't have arms and legs.

"Get him! Get him!" One of them shouted, bouncing around to center itself, then throwing itself at him with all the strength such a small body could hold – which was far more than Kouji had ever expected.

Even if he hadn't seen the bites on the others, he would've known now that these things chomped hard. Those teeth sank into his own flesh, gnawing and biting. Lances of pain tore into him as the creatures dog piled him, doing their best to knock him off of his feet.

If he fell, it would be all over. He wasn't going to fall, then. He had too much to do to lose so soon. He had a Spirit to find, whatever it was, and a brother to get to know. Besides, there were two people already counting on him to help them. He didn't know them. He didn't care. He would help regardless.

He spun with all of his strength, throwing the little creatures off of him, slamming them into the walls behind. With almost every moment, small pieces of metal fell from the walls, letting in more and more light. Kouji didn't mind; he liked being able to see better anyway. He knew he had to be careful, though, because pieces were falling from the floor as well. There was already a large hole in one corner, and he did his best to stay away from there. Falling had never been his favorite way to pass the time.

"Kouji! Watch out!" Kouichi's voice came from up high and Kouji, who'd spared a few precious seconds to try to make certain the other two weren't being devoured while he fought the main pack, followed the quick motion of his brother's hand to where one of his opponents bounced a bit ahead of the others, staring at him with scarlet eyes of fury.

"I'm going to melt you!" It snarled and before Kouji could even grasp onto what that could mean, streams of strange energy wrapped around it. He shook his head, only slightly winded, and still ready for the fight. What was this thing doing, though?

He got his answer a few seconds later, as the streams shrouded the gray furred monster from view, before falling away to reveal a much larger, and much more _disgusting_ monster.

"Raremon!" It declared itself, a large pile of squishing sludge that glurped toward Kouji. A sphere of that glop soared toward him, and Kouji brought his staff around in an attempt to block it. The block more or less worked, but his staff lost nearly a hand's worth of length for his pains.

"Get out of there!" Kouichi cried out. Kouji waved for him to stay where he was; he didn't need more people to worry about. He could handle this.

Raremon, as that seemed its name, shuffled toward him at a speed Kouji wouldn't have thought something like that could manage. He brought what was left of the staff forward, slamming into the oily sludge, then braced himself with the staff, kicking with every ounce of strength that he possessed.

_Slurp!_ His foot went nearly through Raremon's head, and for a brief second Kouji thought that perhaps the fight would end like that. He threw himself to one side, attempting to bring the staff with him, only for it to stick in Raremon's sludge now.

But that second passed, and Raremon threw itself forward, knocking Kouji into the wall. More pieces of metal fell, some from high above, others from below, and Kouji could feel the floor shaking beneath him.

_We have to get out of here._ There was an exit down here, he could see it. Two other people stood there, and he had just enough time to recognize one of them as that guy he'd seen on the train. _What's he doing here?_

He didn't have the time to dwell on that, though. Not when he could see what was going on with those other two kids, and it wasn't good. Raremon slurped toward them, firing more globs of itself. For now they'd managed to avoid being hit, but Kouji wasn't going to bank on it happening that much longer.

His staff clattered to the ground, ignored by Raremon. Kouji rolled forward and caught it; there was maybe half of it left, compared to what he'd started off with. He didn't think it was enough to defeat the creature, but he couldn't sit around and do nothing at all.

He saved all of his breath for fighting, throwing himself on Raremon's back. Guessing where the windpipe might be – if it even had one – he braced the staff across the front, below the mouth, and pulled hard. He didn't think he'd be strong or heavy enough to do much, but he would at least buy time for the other two to get out of there.

Raremon roared, rising a little off the floor, the front part of it waving furiously. Kouji tried to plant his feet, but a falling beam forced him to dodge, the beam missing him by the skin of his teeth. Raremon swiped at him, knocking the staff loose. Another blast of muck finished it off entirely and now Kouji faced the creature with only his bare hands.

But on the good side, if it could be counted like that, he was close enough to the others so they could hear him. "Get going!"

The larger one started to hurry off, keeping nervous eyes on Raremon, while the little kid began to move as well. Before he'd made it more than a few steps, he tripped.

To make matters worse, he was right by the large hole Kouji had noticed earlier. Kouji scrambled over, hissing out a word his stepmother used when dinner didn't turn out as planned when one of Raremon's sludgeballs singed the edge of his jacket, and caught the kid before he could go falling down into the hole.

"Th-thanks," the kid muttered, clinging onto Kouji as if he were a lifeline. Right now, he probably was.

"Thank me later." Kouji kept his eyes on Raremon, trying to move to the side. He could make another staff if he could get to one of the poles, but he needed his little burden taken care of first.

_Kouichi?_ Maybe his brother could lend a hand. A quick glance up, little more than a flicker of his eyes, showed his brother tensing, as if about to jump downward himself.

Before Kouichi could move or Kouji could think of any other plan, a larger form shoved itself in between Kouji and Raremon. 'Larger' was something of an understatement; it stood at least two feet taller than Kouji, covered in flame-colored armor, and held itself in a warrior's crouch.

"Get out of here!" Whoever it was shouted. The voice sounded oddly familiar, but Kouji had no time to play place the voice. He started to move, even as the newcomer threw himself at Raremon.

He managed to land a couple of hits before the same kind of streams that had surrounded the fuzzy head before it became Raremon now wrapped around him, and the fire-warrior wasn't there anymore. It was that kid again, the one from the train.

"I changed back?" The kid stared down at himself in disbelief, that lasted only for a few seconds before Raremon tossed him to the side and surged for Kouji once more.

Kouji knew he could do one of two things. He could save himself or he could save that kid, the one that wrapped onto him for dear life. Kouji didn't have to think about it. He shoved the kid away from him, back to where the floor remained more stable, and waved one hand, hoping that Kouichi got the message. Someone needed to look after this kid while Kouji found a way to kick Raremon to the curb.

Most of that passed through his mind in far less time than one might imagine. Kouji had no more time to think of how to fight once again, before Raremon's weight landed on him and he stumbled backwards over the edge of the hole.

Raremon, he could see, pulled himself back before gravity did its evil work. He, on the other hand, kept on falling.

Beams of light, let in by the holes caused by the battle, flowed all throughout the hole, Kouji noticed with a strange sort of mental disconnect. He could only notice the light and how it grew stronger with each passing second. Thoughts of Kouichi and the other kids there faded away, replaced by the warmth that enveloped him.

He was falling toward something. Not the bottom, though it was there, somewhere. _Something else_ floated in between him and the bottom, and it called all of his attention.

It would've fit in the palm of his hand. Light played around it, brighter, stronger, sharper, and more illuminating than any light he'd ever seen in his entire life.

He didn't know when he'd pulled that device out of his hand, only that it was there, and he _knew_ what it was he was looking at now.

"Spirit?" he murmured, though he did not know of whom he asked. He knew it was true. What else could this be? This was the … the Spirit of…

He knew.

_The Spirit of Light_.

He held out his D-Scan – he knew the proper name of it now, the word rising to his mind just as the knowledge of the Spirit of Light did – and called one more time.

"Spirit!" A call and a claim, equal to the call the Spirit sent out to him. What it said held no words, but a question.

_Will you?_

Would he use this power to help others? Would he illuminate the darkness that threatened this world?

Only one answer could have ever left his lips and rang in his heart.

_Yes!_

Spirit and human met in the middle, and Kouji no longer needed his eyes to see, but knew what was there all the same. Armor wrapped itself around him, white with gray highlights. A scarf settled around his neck, one that fell down to his waist, in the same color as his new armor.

"Wolfmon!" He declared himself, a name both new and old, ringing from the depths of his soul.

He rose back up. He could not fly, not like some of the other Spirits could, but he did not need to, not now. Raremon lurched and splorted, now targeting … targeting Kouichi.

This was not to be. Wolfmon readied himself to fight and to finish this foe once and for all.

**To Be Continued**


	4. Tentative Start

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing involved in this story unless I invented it myself. This is written for fun, not for profit. All forms of feedback eagerly accepted. Concrit is loved the most, but everything is welcome.  
**Fandom:** Digimon Frontier  
**Title:** Eyes of Light: Chapter 4: Tentative Start  
**Character:** Minamoto Kouji, Kimura Kouichi  
**Word Count:** chapter: 2,065||story: 8,565  
**Genre:** Adventure, Friendship||**Rated:** PG-13  
**Challenge:** Diversity Challenge, section L, #13: a multichap that is a series or season rewrite; Random Character Is Your Hero Challenge; &amp; what-If: What if the twins' mother died before Kouichi met Kouji? &amp; What if Kouji was the one searching for Kouichi?  
**Notes:** I don't know if this will have Kouji x Kouichi in it yet or not. The story will tell me in due time. This is going to be a rewrite of Digimon Frontier and it will _mostly_ follow the course of canon, but through Kouji's eyes. Some events will turn out differently, for various reasons, ranging from the type of what-ifs I chose as the basis for this to something I think should've happened differently.  
**Summary:** Kouji didn't expect a lot of things. He didn't expect to find out his mother had died. Or that he had a twin brother. Or that he was being called to a new world to fight in a war. Or that said twin brother would get on the train with him. And that was just the beginning.

* * *

Kouichi's jaw dropped. Not a single coherent word shaped itself in his head as the gleaming figure of Wolfmon rose up from the hole where Kouji had fallen.

He hadn't actually _thought_ a coherent word from the moment Kouji fell down there, actually. He'd struggled internally between wanting to run over and try to find his brother and standing where he was, absolutely frozen in shock.

Before he could make any kind of choice, the light became too much to see and he heard a voice, _Kouji's_ voice, calling out a name that meant nothing to him until his vision cleared and he saw the armored warrior standing there.

He still couldn't move, but now it was more out of awe as Wolfmon pulled out his weapon and charged toward Raremon. This fight was quick and brutal. Whatever Raremon tried against Wolfmon failed completely as the warrior shrugged it all off, slammed his blade into the pile of moving muck, and tossed it up into the air.

"He's fantastic," Kouichi murmured. He almost didn't notice the warm weight of that kid Kouji had fallen trying to protect, or the presence of the other kids. All of his attention focused on the warrior his brother had become.

"Was it like that when I evolved?" He heard someone ask, and glanced over to see the kid who'd tried to help out. Kouichi had a lot of questions about that, but he didn't know where to begin asking them. Especially not with Kouji still fighting.

"Yeah!" The blonde girl with him agreed, staring like everyone else was at Kouji.

Kouichi wasn't sure of how long the fight took, only that it ended when Kouji – Wolfmon – took out that strange device and pointed it at Raremon, saying something about being purified by holy light. Light. That definitely fit everything about Kouji's new trick.

_Don't be blinded by it,_ a tiny voice seemed to whisper in the back of his mind. _Don't forget, he still didn't know anything about you. Never even tried to find out._

Kouichi's shoulders tensed up. He didn't want to think about that. He wanted to enjoy actually being with his brother.

Those increasingly familiar bands of energy wrapped around Wolfmon and when they faded, Kouji stood there. He remained standing only for a few seconds before he collapsed to his knees, breathing hard, and Kouichi wasted no more time before he hurried over there.

The other kid was only a second or two behind him and he set a hand on Kouji's shoulder. "Hey, are you all right?"

Kouji threw him off without even looking at him. "Don't touch me," he hissed, following it up with a look that would've had Kouichi taking a step back. "I don't like being touched by strangers."

Kouichi, in the process of reaching for his brother himself, froze where he stood. In the short time since they'd met, he hadn't really known Kouji to be _that_ approachable, but wasn't this a bit much?

There was still a lot they didn't know about each other, he reasoned. They could discuss it later.

Whatever else he didn't know about Kouji, he found out in the next few seconds as Kouji insisted that he would repay the favor the other did for him, in trying to save Kouji's life, and got the other's name: Kanbara Takuya.

"Minamoto Kouji," Kouji offered in return, turning to Kouichi as he did. Kouichi shifted forward a little, eyes running over his brother, seeing a dozen bites and bruises, none of which looked too severe, but he wanted to check them out, just in case. Could they get infected? He didn't know if they had doctors here at all.

His heart clenched at that but he pushed the thought away. Now was just _not_ the time.

"Hey, who're you?" Takuya asked, catching sight of Kouichi. He blinked a couple of times, looking between the two of them. "Whoa… are you..."

Kouichi had never before had someone look at him and his twin and realize they were twins. The moment glimmered soft and strong in his mind and he held it close. "I'm Kimura Kouichi."

That got a confused look from Takuya, but Kouji didn't stop to explain, which meant that Kouichi wasn't going to either. He waved briefly toward the others and followed Kouji out of there and up into the fresh air.

* * *

Kouji ached in places that he'd never known existed, much less could ache as much as they did. Most of the blood from where the Pagumon had bitten him had dried by now – and that was strange in and of itself; he knew what those fuzzy heads were called, and what this place was. The information had come to him when he'd evolved to Wolfmon and didn't leave now. This was the Digital World, home of the Digimon.

Kouichi hovered only a few steps behind him, and Kouji knew his brother would want to do something to help clean him up once they were somewhere where that could happen. He had no plans to object. He _wanted A stream flowed perhaps ten minutes' walk away from the underground labyrinth he'd found his first Spirit in and as soon as he realized it was there, that was where he headed._

He wanted to say something to Kouichi, but the words twisted and stuck in his throat. He just didn't know what. He'd never been much of a talker in the first place. This was almost as bad as when he'd been in the cemetery. At least he'd found words there, somehow. Maybe he would now.

He pulled his D-Scan from his pocket and checked it out again. Now something did occur to him. "You should probably stay out of the way when I have to fight. You could get hurt." And he did not want that to happen at all.

Kouichi started to nod, but there was a small hint of something in his expression. At first Kouji wasn't certain if he would say anything about what was on his mind.

"Do you think there could be one of those Spirits for me?" his brother finally said after a few moments. "I mean, I've never had a cell phone in the first place, so maybe I couldn't get the message like you did?"

Kouji could only shrug. "I don't know. Maybe when we find whoever that woman is who talked to us, we can ask her?" She probably had something to do with all of this anyway, and that was the least of the questions that he had for her.

"Kouji," Kouichi said after another quiet few minutes spent heading to the stream they could both hear by now. "What do you think about those other kids we saw?"

Kouji tilted his head, wincing as that stressed his neck muscles. "What do you mean?"

"Well, did they get the message you did? Are they looking for spirits? It looked like that Takuya guy already had one."

Kouji nodded slowly; he'd been too busy fighting to catch the name, but it slithered up into his mind anyway, from a part of him that he was beginning to think was Wolfmon's legacy. _Agnimon,_ that little whisper of thought said. _The Warrior of Flame._

Well, if he kept on getting information like that, at least it would be useful information.

"Maybe we should go and talk to them?" Kouichi asked, settling down beside Kouji as they reached the stream and Kouji dropped down to one knee, scooping up water before he did anything else. Raremon's stench left a sharp, dry scratching in his throat and he thought he could stand to drink at least half of the stream before he finally could draw a completely easy breath.

He didn't answer Kouichi right away, though. Instead, he stripped off his jacket and shirt and checked out what injuries he could find there.

"I wish I'd known I'd be getting into fights like this," he muttered, scooping water over some of the deeper wounds. "I would've brought some bandages with me."

Kouichi pulled his cap off of his head and sank it into the water, using that to pour over some of Kouji's other injuries, helping to get them all clean. Kouji hissed at the feel of the cold water on his skin, but he knew it had to be done. It wasn't the best way to take care of injuries, but it was better than letting them sit there and fester.

More instinctive information from that new other part of him told him he would be fine; Pagumon weren't venomous. His eyes could tell him that the wounds were fairly shallow as well, despite their best efforts to do otherwise. So within a day or so, he'd probably be as good as new.

Now he considered what Kouichi had said about the others and shook his head. "I'm here to find out about what she was talking about. I don't know why _they're_ here." _And I don't care, either_, hovered unsaid.

Kouichi nodded, though Kouji thought he didn't actually agree with him. Thoughts of that nature vanished with the advent of a far more important matter: Kouji's stomach growled harshly.

"We're going to have to find some food," he said, rinsing his shirt in the stream and wringing it out. He _really_ wished that he'd brought some spare clothes, but there hadn't been time. If he hadn't come when he had, then he would've missed the train. Maybe even missed Kouichi. And even after a few hours, he knew that he didn't want to do that.

Kouichi nodded, pushing himself to his feet and looking around. "There has to be something around here somewhere. Should we go back ask those little things?"

"Digimon," Kouji answered without thinking. "They're called Digimon, and this is the Digital World."

Kouichi glanced toward him, curiosity glinting in those so similar eyes. Kouji gave a quick shrug. "Ever since I became one, I kind of know a few things about this world. Not much, just some names." He would've liked to have known where to eat at and if this place accepted yen. He had some left, but not much, not enough to get more than one or two meals, and only the cheap ones then.

_We'll have to work for food, probably._ The enormity of what stretched out before him boggled him with each passing moment. Food, shelter, care after a battle, what could happen to their clothes, all of those things he'd never had to think about before, and which now stared him in the face as things he _needed_ to think about.

Food to start with. They were in a forest, which could mean something along the lines of apples or oranges or whatever fruit grew in this world.

Wringing his jacket out as well, Kouji stood up, thinking. "We could go ask them, but let's look around here first and see what we can find." That little fountain of information hadn't provided anything about where he could get something to eat, which didn't make it as useful as he'd hoped it would be. Maybe Spirits didn't have to eat? If that were so, it would've been nice if Wolfmon had passed that along to him.

Kouichi nodded his agreement and together they picked out a direction and started that way. Both of them kept their attention perked for anything that might want to attack them, be it something small and fuzzy and annoying like Pagumon or large and repulsive and annoying like Raremon. The few Pagumon they did see, busy bouncing their way back to the larger village, said nothing at all to them, not even when Kouichi tried to ask them if they knew where any food was. Kouji didn't know if they'd been part of the bunch he'd fought earlier or not. If they were, they were definitely holding a grudge.

It looked like it would take them a while to get what they needed. But so long as they didn't pass out from hunger, Kouji knew he didn't mind spending this time with Kouichi.

**To Be Continued**


	5. Making A New Friend

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing involved in this story unless I invented it myself. This is written for fun, not for profit. All forms of feedback eagerly accepted. Concrit is loved the most, but everything is welcome.  
**Fandom:** Digimon Frontier  
**Title:** Eyes of Light: Chapter 5: Making A New Friend  
**Character:** Minamoto Kouji, Kimura Kouichi  
**Word Count:** chapter: 2,157||story: 10,722  
**Genre:** Adventure, Friendship||**Rated:** PG-13  
**Challenge:** Diversity Challenge, section L, #13: a multichap that is a series or season rewrite; Random Character Is Your Hero Challenge; &amp; what-If: What if the twins' mother died before Kouichi met Kouji? &amp; What if Kouji was the one searching for Kouichi?  
**Notes:** I don't know if this will have Kouji x Kouichi in it yet or not. The story will tell me in due time. This is going to be a rewrite of Digimon Frontier and it will _mostly_ follow the course of canon, but through Kouji's eyes. Some events will turn out differently, for various reasons, ranging from the type of what-ifs I chose as the basis for this to something I think should've happened differently.  
**Summary:** Kouji didn't expect a lot of things. He didn't expect to find out his mother had died. Or that he had a twin brother. Or that he was being called to a new world to fight in a war. Or that said twin brother would get on the train with him. And that was just the beginning.

* * *

Kouichi glanced now and then at the stream as they followed along it in their search for food. It wasn't a very deep or wide stream, suitable for drinking and scrubbing the small streaks of blood out of Kouji's clothes and that was it. He didn't even see any fish in it.

He stopped in his tracks and turned to his brother, whose attention seemed a little more fixed on watching for any attacking Digimon at the moment. "Kouji?" His answer was little more than a curious grunt, but it was enough. "Can you fish? I mean, do you know how?"

Now Kouji actually turned to look at him. "What?"

"Do you know how to fish?" Kouichi repeated, gesturing toward the stream. "There aren't any in there that I saw, but maybe if we find a big river or even a lake, there might be some there. Then we'd have something to eat." His stomach gave a rumble; it quite agreed with the notion of eating right now.

Kouji rubbed the back of his head in thought. "I don't know… do we know if the fish here can be eaten? What if they're… Fishmon or something?"

Kouichi winced; that hadn't occurred to him. But he squared his shoulders anyway. "We need to try. We have to eat something sooner or later." If nothing else, maybe these possible Fishmon would know where they could get something? They had nothing at all to lose except their hunger and Kouichi would be perfectly fine losing that.

"All right. We can check around." Kouji picked up his pace a little and Kouichi kept up with him as he did. The longer they stayed in this world, the more Kouichi kind of liked being here, so long as he was with Kouji.

_Could we get to know each other this well back home?_ He didn't think so. Back home they would have their parents to deal with, at least his grandmother and their father. Grandmother hadn't told him much about Minamoto Kousei, but Kouichi wanted to meet him anyway, as much as he thought Kouji wished he'd met their mother.

He had a few questions, mostly along the lines of why Kouji hadn't been told about him and why he'd never made even the slightest contact with them. So far as Kouichi knew, his parents hadn't seen or heard from each other since the divorce.

_He didn't want you. You were his firstborn son and he didn't want you. What was wrong with you? Why weren't you good enough?_

Kouichi hissed softly, resting one hand on his forehead and shaking his head. He didn't like thoughts like that and they kept creeping in no matter what he tried.

"Kouichi?" He looked up to see Kouji looking back at him, hints of worry in those mirror-image eyes of his.

_Yes, now he's worried. When your survival and his are linked. Would he be worried about you if you weren't here with him? Would he have ever cared to go looking for you?_

Again Kouichi pushed that back and shook his head again. This wasn't what he wanted to think. This wasn't at all what he wanted to feel.

A warm hand touched his shoulder and he focused on that, blinking and raising his head until he stared into Kouji's very worried eyes.

"Kouichi, are you all right?"

"Yeah...I just had a headache. It's gone now, though. Just a little flash of a thing." Kouichi didn't know where the excuse came from. He'd never bothered much with lying before and he'd never had a reason to. But he didn't want Kouji to know about those thoughts that crept into his head and wrapped around his heart and soul, sinking into the deepest parts of him until they could no longer be seen.

_Kouji won't like me if he knows about that,_ he thought haphazardly, shaking his head even harder and dragging a smile up from somewhere and hoping that it looked believable enough for Kouji not to press about it.

"I think I'm just a lot hungrier than I thought I was. Nothing to worry about." He hoped it wasn't. He hoped with every single ounce of strength in his heart that it wasn't.

* * *

Kouji wanted to believe Kouichi. He couldn't think of any reason why he shouldn't. Why would Kouichi lie in the first place? They depended on each other here, more than Kouji could remember having depended on anyone else in his entire life. He kind of guessed that he depended on his dad, but this was different. Dads were supposed to take care of their kids. But he and Kouichi… it was different. He didn't know any other way to describe it.

Right now, though, that depending on each other came through most strongly as needed to get some food. The fishing idea wasn't a bad one at all. They just needed to find a place where they _could_ fish.

Kouji stepped back from Kouichi and looked around. There didn't seem to be any Digimon around who would be able to answer their questions, and the voice from the D-Scan certainly hadn't cropped up to give them directions to a decent restaurant. So this was still something they'd have to work out for themselves. That was all right with Kouji. He was pretty used to doing for himself anyway.

His eyes followed the stream as it wound out of sight. No fish there, but perhaps… "Let's keep following that. It might connect to something bigger." It was probably their best chance to find _something_.

Kouichi didn't argue. Kouji kept on walking, many thoughts whirring and stirring in his mind. They needed to go somewhere aside from just wherever could fill their stomachs. He still had a mission, strange and confusing as it was: to find the Spirits. That voice had indicated there were more out there than just what he knew about.

_So where are they, what are they, and how do I get them? And what do I do when I do get them?_

And what did he do with the fact there were obviously four other people who had the same goal as he did? Were they supposed to be his rivals in this collection, or his teammates?

Rivals. He didn't do teams.

* * *

The stream led to a larger stream, which still didn't contain any fish. It did have several bushes growing alongside of it, which provided them with berries in an odd shade of gray-green, complete with sharp thorns protecting them.

Kouichi poked at one carefully, pulling his hand back when one of the thorns pricked at him. "How do we get to those?"

Kouji peered a little closer. "Do we want to? Are they edible?" He tried to get some kind of sense from that _other_ part of him, but if Wolfmon had any opinions on the matter, he did not choose to make them known.

"They're not bad for you," a voice spoke up. Both twins turned toward it, Kouji with one hand on his D-Scan and Kouichi ready to dodge out of the way at a moment's notice.

"Who's there?" Kouji snapped, tense and sharp. "Show yourself!"

Some of the undergrowth rustled, but Kouji still couldn't see anything. Kouichi kept looking around as well, confused and unnerved.

"I'm here!" The voice was the same as before and it sounded closer now. Kouji's grip tightened. If this were some kind of an ambush… "Look down!"

Kouji dropped his gaze almost automatically, then blinked several times when he realized what he was looking at. Well, _somewhat_ what he was looking at; he didn't know which Digimon it was, but it was small and green and smiled up at him as if he were its long lost best friend.

"Hi! I'm Pipimon!" It nodded cheerfully at him. "Who are you?"

Kouji didn't put his D-Scan away just yet. Just because this thing was little didn't mean it couldn't hurt. Or that it didn't have larger friends. "Kouji. This is Kouichi."

Pipimon looked from one of them to the other. "You're different types? But you look just like each other! Mostly, anyway." It bounced up and down some. "Are you different attributes? Like a Wizarmon and a FlaWizarmon?"

Kouichi and Kouji glanced at one another. Kouji shook his head, though he couldn't have said offhand if he were trying to deny why Pipimon said or just confused in general. "We're different people. Humans don't have types."

"Humans?" Pipimon said the word as if it had never heard it before. Maybe it hadn't. Humans weren't that common in the Digital World it seemed. "What are humans?"

"We are," Kouichi said, bending down to smile at the tiny creature. "We came here from another world."

Pipimon ooohhed, large eyes blinking at the both of them. "So, you were looking at those berries? You want to eat them?"

"That's right. You said they're good?" Kouichi asked, looking back at the thorny bush. Kouji stayed out of it; if he could get them something to eat, so much the better.

"No, I said they're not bad for you." Pipimon bounced a little more. "They don't taste very good at all but they won't make you sick. Most Digimon don't eat them unless they feel bad. They can make you feel better then."

_They're some kind of a curing thing?_ Kouji decided he wasn't going to leave here without a few of them in his pocket. Not knowing what they could cure didn't mean they wouldn't come in handy at some point.

"We really need something to eat. Can you help?" Kouichi wanted to know. Kouji thought his twin was a lot better than he was at this talking to people thing. He'd never really gotten the hang of it. He generally resented the fact most people existed in the first place, though he would on occasion go out of his way to help ones who needed it. He just didn't like talking to them. Or being around them on a long-term basis.

Pipimon bounced a little again. That seemed to be how it thought things over. "There's a train track that goes that way," it said, shifting its gaze to indicate the way the stream flowed. "I think the tracks lead to a village, but it's really far away. You should probably get one of the Trailmon to help you get there."

"Would they have something to eat there?" Kouichi gently persisted. Kouji mentally nodded. Kouichi really was better at talking to people, whether or not they were human. Well, someone around had to be. Better Kouichi than him.

"Probably. I used to hear stories about them all the time, about how good the food was at their village. But I never went there myself." Pipimon drooped a little. "The Trailmon are too big and too noisy to hear me when I ask them to stop, so I never could get a ride there."

The words came out of Kouichi's mouth before Kouji could stop him. "Well, if we're going that way, would you like to come with us?"

_What? Why would he - _Kouji clamped down on the question before it could escape his lips. Kouichi probably didn't want to hang out with just him. And it might be better to have someone around who knew the dangers of the area. _Maybe Pipimon can evolve into something that can protect Kouichi when I have to fight?_ He hadn't thought about it before, but the idea of some other Digimon attacking Kouichi while he was wrapped up in a different fight wasn't one that he found himself liking at all.

Pipimon squealed, bouncing up and down in unconscious imitation of a rubber ball. "Really? I can go with you? You'd do that for me?"

"Why not?" Kouichi smiled and Kouji wondered how he could keep that kind of expression. His own lips never seemed to want to do anything like that. "But if it's that far away, we'll probably need something to eat before that. What else is around here?"

While Pipimon and Kouichi hashed that out, Kouji stepped over to the thorn berry bush and eyed it for a few seconds. The thorns did look very sharp, but he thought he had a way to deal with them. He slipped a small pocketknife out of his pocket and set to work trimming the thorns back until he could get down to the berries. He had no idea of how Digimon might get to them, but short of having actual claws himself, this was what he'd have to do.

"Kouji?" Kouichi called to him as he plucked off half a dozen of the berries and tucked them into the pocket of his jacket. "Pipimon knows about some fruit trees that aren't that far off."

Kouji's answer was the defiant and hungry rumble of his stomach as he stood back up. "Let's go."

**To Be Continued**


	6. Fruits and Vegetables

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing involved in this story unless I invented it myself. This is written for fun, not for profit. All forms of feedback eagerly accepted. Concrit is loved the most, but everything is welcome.  
**Fandom:** Digimon Frontier  
**Title:** Eyes of Light: Chapter 6: Fruits and Vegetables  
**Character:** Minamoto Kouji, Kimura Kouichi  
**Word Count:** chapter: 2,422||story: 13,144  
**Genre:** Adventure, Friendship||**Rated:** PG-13  
**Challenge:** Diversity Challenge, section L, #13: a multichap that is a series or season rewrite; Random Character Is Your Hero Challenge; &amp; what-If: What if the twins' mother died before Kouichi met Kouji? &amp; What if Kouji was the one searching for Kouichi?  
**Notes:** I don't know if this will have Kouji x Kouichi in it yet or not. The story will tell me in due time. This is going to be a rewrite of Digimon Frontier and it will _mostly_ follow the course of canon, but through Kouji's eyes. Some events will turn out differently, for various reasons, ranging from the type of what-ifs I chose as the basis for this to something I think should've happened differently.  
**Summary:** Kouji didn't expect a lot of things. He didn't expect to find out his mother had died. Or that he had a twin brother. Or that he was being called to a new world to fight in a war. Or that said twin brother would get on the train with him. And that was just the beginning.

* * *

Now with their little group augmented by one, Kouji, Kouichi, and Pipimon headed through the woods, the twins guided by Pipimon as he pointed them toward the fruit trees that would sustain them until they could get to Soft Breeze Village, the place that supposedly had some of the best soups and best hospitality in this part of the Digital World. Kouichi wasn't a chatterbox by any means, but Kouji heard his voice rise and fall, interspersed with comments by Pipimon, as they made their way through the trees. He knew that he wasn't jealous. He couldn't _be_ jealous.

It still bothered him that Kouichi seemed to talk to Pipimon much more easily than he did to him. He'd thought they were getting along well enough and now this? He pressed his lips together and shrugged it off, or tried to. What did he know about how to talk to people anyway? He'd never gone out of his way to do so and he wasn't certain if he had a reason to now.

"There!" Pipimon bounced from where it rested in the curve of Kouichi's arm, bobbing its head in an effort to point when it had no hands to do so with. "This has kept me fed _forever_!"

That didn't surprise Kouji, seeing that there were at least a round dozen, if not more, of the trees that rose up before them, each one with hundreds of fruit hanging low and ripe from them. Someone like Pipimon could probably eat from here for decades and never go hungry.

Of course it would only last a couple of humans a few weeks, if that, and Kouji found himself certain he'd want something other than fruit before they were halfway through it.

'Fruit' was the only word he could think of to describe what grew on the tree. Somewhat oval-shaped, striped in green and red, and with a delicious aroma that called to his appetite and wasn't like anything he'd ever smelled in his life, he knew he'd never seen anything like this before. It likely didn't grow anywhere else but here.

"What do they taste like?" Kouichi wondered, picking one off and looking at it. Pipimon wriggled, launched through the air at the same tree Kouichi had just taken one from, and snagged a fruit between strong teeth.

"They taste like food, of course!" Pipimon giggled, crashing onto the ground and going back to the fruit that landed near. "Go on, have some!"

Kouji picked one for himself and checked it out more closely. There didn't seem to be a peel on it, so he took a careful bite. Said bite was followed more quickly by another, and another, until he'd eaten it down to its core. He spied Kouichi doing much the same to the one he'd picked, and both of them reached for more as soon as they were done.

"I don't think I've ever tasted anything like this before," Kouichi said. "I wish we had a bag. I'd want to take more with us."

Pipimon shook its head sadly. "You couldn't. They don't last too long once they've been picked. You have to eat them really quickly. Like, they'd go bad by this afternoon if you didn't."

Kouichi's face fell. "Oh. Too bad." He reached for another fruit. "Well, we'd better eat what we can here."

Kouji agreed; he'd never been much of a fruit lover before today, but there was something fantastic about these. It couldn't entirely be the seasoning of hunger. They were just absolutely delicious.

_I wonder if those other kids have something to eat._ He brushed the thought away. Whether they did or not wasn't his problem. He wasn't their baby-sitter. He'd done enough just saving those two from being eaten by rabid Pagumon. Everything else was up to them.

* * *

"All right, now which way do we go to find that trail?" Kouji wanted to know. He knew this quest for the Spirits, and answers, wouldn't be over with in an afternoon, and the sooner they managed this, the better it would be for all of them. He and Kouichi would already have a lot of explaining to do once they got home, and that was just for the part about how they had crossed paths.

Pipimon turned its face up toward a thin, almost invisible trail that wound through the fruit trees. "That way! It always takes me forever, though."

Kouji held back from saying anything about the fact Pipimon didn't have legs and they did. Instead, he just started that way. He'd brought along a couple of extra fruits, even knowing what Pipimon had said about how swiftly they could go bad. If they ran across any more Pagumon, he'd toss the fruits to them, and not waste his time fighting them.

The pathway led under the thickest of the trees, which resulted in the three of them walking in near darkness for what seemed like forever. Chills ran up and down Kouji's spine at the way the shadows pressed in all around, reaching long fingers of night toward him and toward Kouichi.

Toward Kouichi more than him, he thought, and he frowned, pressing his fingers against his D-Scan. He was the Warrior of Light now. Couldn't he _do something_ about this?

"How much farther?" Kouichi asked Pipimon, who peered ahead of them, a crease forming between its eyes.

"Not that much farther. It never used to feel this dark when I would come through here. Maybe it's going to rain?"

Kouji had his doubts on that, but he didn't want to alarm either his twin or Pipimon. "Let's get going. If it does, we'll have to find some kind of a shelter."

He would like to have said there wasn't a cloud in the sky, but since he couldn't see the sky at all, he honestly didn't know. There hadn't been one when he _had_ seen it. There was too much that he didn't know about this world.

Like why those shadows reached for Kouichi even more and why Kouichi didn't act as if he noticed them at all. Kouji snarled under his breath. If that darkness really meant harm, then he'd shed all the light that he possibly could on it to protect Kouichi.

"There!" Pipimon bounced again not that much later, and now sunlight did break through the arching branches above. Kouji and Kouichi hurried along, their attention more on the railroad they could see above.

At least until Pipimon squealed sharp and high enough to almost shatter eardrums. "Stop! Stop!"

Kouji pitched to a halt, grabbing Kouichi a heartbeat later. "What's the -" And then he saw the problem. Gaping wide between where they stood and where they wanted to be, a chasm stretched down too far for them to see the bottom. Kouji stared down into it, then turned toward Pipimon. "What is this?"

"It's been happening in other places. Big chunks of the Digital World just vanish." Pipimon drooped down. "I didn't think it was this bad here, though. But I haven't been here in a long time."

Kouichi leaned forward, shuddered, and pulled himself back. "Is there any other way to get up there?"

Pipimon slowly shook itself. "If there is, I don't know where it is. This is always the way I've gone. It wasn't like this a while ago."

Kouji turned towards Kouichi, lips turned down. They needed to get out of here, and that train was their best bet. The question now remained of how they were to get up to it. _Maybe if I evolve into Wolfmon I can carry them up there?_ He pulled out the D-Scan and took a look at it.

"Wahahahha!" An unfamiliar laugh echoed from the trees all around them. "So what do we have here? A tiny little morsel and two bigger morsels? Just what I've been hoping for!"

Kouji's grip tightened on the D-Scan and he took a step forward. "Who are you and what do you want?"

From the deep shadows there came a … a something. It squished as it moved. Long tentacles stretched out from its shoulders in place of arms, each one ending in a green spike-covered club. It didn't have any feet at all, but moved by digging the clubs into the ground and pulling itself forward like that.

"It's RedVegimon!" Pipimon declared, clinging closer to Kouichi. "He's supposed to live on the other side of the forest! I don't know what he's doing over here."

RedVegimon threw himself closer, that same laugh bellowing outward. "I'm here because I'm taking over this forest, you little squirt of nothing! This is my territory now and there's nothing you can do to stop it!"

Kouji and Kouichi looked at one another. Kouji felt a smile curve his lips upward.

"You and Pipimon get back. I'll take care of this," Kouji said, turning back toward RedVegimon. "Back off and let us be, or else!"

RedVegiemon laughed again and bounced closer, the spikes digging deep into the ground. "Or else what? You think you can stop me?"

Kouji tossed his D-Scan, caught it, and grinned. "Let's find out."

In seconds, Wolfmon stood there in all of his glimmering silver armored glory. RedVegimon stared at him for little more than a heartbeat before charging forward, far faster than either of them had thought that he could move, and brought one hard club down on the Legendary Warrior's shoulder. Wolfmon staggered back a pace or two before rallying himself.

"Is that the best you've got?" He wanted RedVegimon's attention all on him and nowhere near Kouichi or Pipimon. Pulling out his saber, he charged forward, dodging another strike of those heavy clubs, and whirling around to strike the blade across RedVegimon's shoulders.

"Hey!" The mutant vegetable waved his tentacles as he fell backwards. "I could ask you the same thing!" He wriggled back into a fighting position, sending one club-ended tentacle to wrap around Wolfmon's saber and the other slamming toward his face. "You're fighting an unarmed 'mon here!"

Wolfmon got one arm up just in time to block the blow and wrapped his fingers around RedVegimon's arm. Tentacle. Vine. Whatever the heck it had coming from its shoulders. "You're the one who started it!"

Firm grip achieved, he pulled, yanking his opponent off the ground and slamming him into first one tree and then another. "If you want to move in somewhere, you should ask the people who already live there if there's space! You don't just go taking something that isn't yours!"

RedVegimon flailed and wriggled before bringing his other vine tentacle arm around to slam against Wolfmon's back. "Put me down! Let me go! You're not allowed to do this!"

"I'm already doing it," Wolfmon replied, sending RedVegimon spinning so hard he slammed into a rock protruding from the ground. "Now, are you going to behave yourself or do I have to get _tough_?"

RedVegimon panted and shook only for a few seconds, then leaped forward faster than before, charging past Wolfmon to where Kouichi stood, Pipimon in hand, watching the battle.

Deep within Wolfmon, Kouji howled in rage, and the Warrior of Light zipped forward, grabbing for RedVegimon. "No! You won't!" It didn't matter how much or how little he knew Kouichi, but he wasn't going to let the chance to know him better get taken away by something that got served for dinner.

Kouichi stared at the oncoming Digimon, then turned, holding Pipimon close, presenting his back to RedVegimon's descending club. He tensed, expecting any moment to get knocked down the gap still stretching far too close to his feet.

Instead, he heard RedVegimon howling in fury. "Let me go! Let me go!"

Kouichi peeked around himself and stared. RedVegimon hung in the air only a few breaths away, his shoulder pierced by Wolfmon's Licht Sieger. Only the weapon's blade kept the attacking Digimon from falling. RedVegimon struggled and squirmed, whimpering in pain as Wolfmon pulled his weapon back and stared down at him, his D-Scan now appearing in one hand.

"Soul squirming in darkness, this holy light will purify you!" Wolfmon declared. True to his word, light burst forth from the D-Scan, wrapping all around RedVegimon, rendering him impossible to see for a few seconds. When it faded away, RedVegimon lay on the ground, his eyes closed. He twitched for a moment or two, then slowly sat up and looked around.

"What's going on? Where am I?" He blinked again, catching sight now of Pipimon as Kouichi came closer, each step taken cautiously. "Pipimon? What are you – what am I doing here?"

"You were trying to take over this part of the forest!" Pipimon reminded him. "Are you all right now?"

RedVegimon rubbed his head carefully. "I think so. I feel a lot better than I did."

Kouji, now returned to his human self, came closer, his D-Scan still in hand. "What happened to you?"

"I'm not sure. But it's been happening to a lot of other Digimon that are usually peaceful. Rumor has it that Cherubimon is involved," RedVegimon said as he worked himself back up. "But I don't know anything other than that."

Kouji started to ask who Cherubimon was when his D-Scan began to violently blink at him. He stared down at it for a second or two before he touched one finger to one of the buttons on it, guided more by instinct – or Wolfmon – than knowledge.

More light burst out of the D-Scan, this time spreading out to the chasm that separated this part of the forest from the railway up above. In mere moments, all of that missing earth grew strong and new once again.

"Whoa… was that in _me_?" RedVegimon stared at it. "Guess it's a good thing you beat me, then."

"Just don't go doing that kind of thing again," Kouji advised, though if someone had asked, he had no idea of what 'that kind of thing' was. He stared up at the railway. "Is it safe to go up there now?"

"Should be! Come on, the sooner we get to Soft Breeze Village, the sooner we can have their delicious soup!" Pipimon looked as if it might bounce high enough to get there all on its own.

Kouji glanced at Kouichi, then back at the trail that now lay ahead of them. RedVegimon waved good-bye as they started, intent on returning to his own proper part of the woods.

* * *

Shadows moved and watched. Cherubimon smiled. _Soon, my Warrior of Darkness. Soon._

**To Be Continued**


	7. Train Tracks & Destinations

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing involved in this story unless I invented it myself. This is written for fun, not for profit. All forms of feedback eagerly accepted. Concrit is loved the most, but everything is welcome.  
**Fandom:** Digimon Frontier  
**Title:** Eyes of Light: Chapter 7: Train Tracks &amp; Destinations  
**Character:** Minamoto Kouji, Kimura Kouichi  
**Word Count:** chapter: 2,116||story: 15,260  
**Genre:** Adventure, Friendship||**Rated:** PG-13  
**Challenge:** Diversity Challenge, section L, #13: a multichap that is a series or season rewrite; Random Character Is Your Hero Challenge; &amp; what-If: What if the twins' mother died before Kouichi met Kouji? &amp; What if Kouji was the one searching for Kouichi?  
**Notes:** I don't know if this will have Kouji x Kouichi in it yet or not. The story will tell me in due time. This is going to be a rewrite of Digimon Frontier and it will _mostly_ follow the course of canon, but through Kouji's eyes. Some events will turn out differently, for various reasons, ranging from the type of what-ifs I chose as the basis for this to something I think should've happened differently.  
**Summary:** Kouji didn't expect a lot of things. He didn't expect to find out his mother had died. Or that he had a twin brother. Or that he was being called to a new world to fight in a war. Or that said twin brother would get on the train with him. And that was just the beginning.

* * *

Crossing up to where the rail tracks didn't take all that long. Kouji and Kouichi kept pace with one another as they moved along, neither quite willing to let the other out of their sight for more than a few seconds. It wasn't something either of them wanted to talk about. It was simply something that _was_.

Reaching the track didn't give them nearly as much as they hoped for. A small covered stop was all that Kouji could see, as well as the tracks stretching forward and back until they were out of sight. He frowned down at them before looking around.

"How long until the train comes?"

Pipimon wiggled, back once more in the safety of Kouichi's arms, and jerked toward one wall of the stop. "The schedule is over there! Though it might be kind of wrong these days."

Yes, that would go with everything they'd experienced so far. This whole thing with Cherubimon screwing up everything that the guy possibly could. Kouji would've liked to give him a piece of his mind.

For now, they just moved over and Kouji checked out the schedule. Most of the names on there meant nothing at all to him. He did spy the entry for Soft Breeze Village, but the notation there was confusing as well.

"Franken?" Kouji repeated the word carefully, not certain if he were reading it or not. He couldn't even be certain if what he was reading was Japanese or not. It didn't quite look like it, but he couldn't say what it did look like either. Sometimes being at least part Digimon ended up being more confusing than anything elses.

Pipimon nodded as if that were nothing unusual for him to say at all. "He should be here pretty soon. We didn't miss him!"

"Him?" Kouji and Kouichi spoke the word in unison, glancing at one another as they did. Kouji tried not to smile at that. He'd heard about twins who spoke at the same time, but he'd never even thought that they could do that themselves.

"Franken, of course! That's who's going to take us to Soft Breeze Village!" Pipimon indicated the seat with a couple of bounces and nods. "We should just sit down and wait."

With not much else that they could do, the twins settled down and an odd, uncomfortable silence fell between them. Kouji peeked now and then at Kouichi, trying to think of something that he could say. He'd _never_ been good at starting conversations and any time there wasn't something going on around them, that fact made itself all the more plain to him.

He swallowed. One question that he wanted to ask flicked to the front of his mind. He wanted to know the answer as much as he wanted to know anything and everything about the family he hadn't met, but was now a good time to ask? Would it _ever_ be a good time to ask? They'd really only met that day, no matter how much had happened since then to make it feel that much longer.

"Kouichi -" Kouji wanted to ask anything at all. What Kouichi's favorite food was. What school he went to. How close he lived to where Kouji himself lived. Before the question formed itself properly – and he had no idea if he would ask any of those or something else altogether or one of those questions that were ones that he likely shouldn't ask yet – a train blast sounded, lights flashed, and a train pulled up before them.

Pipimon bounced – that seemed to be the default movement – and leaned forward. "Hello, Franken!" It tilted its head back and cried out with as much volume as it could manage. The train didn't so much as move, though.

"Excuse me," Kouji said, stepping forward. "Are you Franken?"

A dark brown head turned itself toward him and Kouji forced himself not to move. He'd seen one Trailmon already, and he'd understood that this would be another one, but seeing it move around as fluidly as he did was still something that he had to get used to.

"Yes. What do you want?" There was a subtle chuckle that roamed under the words, as if Franken held itself back from laughing over some joke only Trailmon might understand.

"We'd like to go to Soft Breeze Village," Kouji said. "Would you take us there?" He wanted to make certain to ask the question in such a way that the living train wouldn't laugh that it could and then go off without doing so.

Franken rocked on his trails a little, as if shrugging. "It's on my route. Don't know why you'd want to go there, though. It's not as good as it used to be."

"We'll take the chance," Kouichi replied. "What's the fare? There are three of us."

Again the Trailmon curved about to get a good look at them, and now there was definitely a broad grin on those features. "You are definitely humans. We don't need fares. Trailmon take people where they need to go because that's what Trailmon _do_." The doors on the side slid open. "Come on in!"

Neither twin wasted a moment, hurrying on inside and settling onto the first seats that they saw. Franken spoken up again once they were in position. "This trip's going to take most of the night. Sorry, no dinner service on this one."

"That's all right. We had something to eat earlier," Kouichi told him. "We should be fine until we get there."

"If you say so!" Franken's whistle blew and he began to chug out of the station, humming as he did.

That same silence descended. Kouji stared out the window, dividing his attention between that and staring at his D-Scan now. He wanted to look at Kouichi. He still wanted to ask all of those questions, whether he should or not.

"What's dad like?" Kouichi asked a few moments later, having spent his own time staring out one of the other windows. "Do you think...think that he'd like me?"

Kouji hadn't thought about Kouichi's side of things at all and he almost cursed himself for it. He should have. He should've thought about something other than himself and his own loss of someone he'd never even known.

He didn't let himself beat himself up about this for too long, though. He gathered up his thoughts and tried to make some kind of sense of them, enough for an answer.

"I think so." He knew that his father had been making some kind of plans that involved Kouichi, but he'd never learned the full extent of those. He'd been too busy – again – thinking about how all of this affected him to get those details.

Kouichi nodded, his head dropped a little as he examined his fingers where they curved around Pipimon. "Mom really wanted to see you. She'd talked to me about talking to dad and maybe seeing if we could meet up sometime this summer or next. She wasn't sure if she could talk him into it, or if she could get the time off."

He tilted his head back now, staring up at the ceiling. "She didn't get a lot of time off. She worked two jobs to make certain we had everything that we needed."

_That I had everything that I needed._ The words weren't spoken, but they hung in the air nevertheless. Kouji clenched his teeth harder around the questions that still lurked behind his lips. He _wanted_ so much but he just could not _ask_.

"We have a grandmother. I know she wants to meet you." Kouichi turned to catch Kouji's eyes, a tiny, gentle smile curving on his lips. "I'd hoped if you were you... that you'd come home with me. So you could meet her."

Kouji nodded, his own lips reflecting that smile almost as if the two of them truly were original and mirror. He wondered which one of them was the original for a moment.

_He is. He's older. He has to be._ Not by much, of that he was certain, but older all the same. Another thing to ask, when the time came and he could shape the words.

Another memory crossed his mind then and his fingers tightened together. "Today is their annivesary. Dad and her." He didn't want to say 'mom', not in front of Kouichi, not now. "I was going to go by the flower shop after the cemetary and get some flowers."

Kouichi didn't look at him this time, returning his gaze to the ceiling. "That's nice of you." Was he mad? Did he think Kouji shouldn't do that, shouldn't accept a stepmother, especially now?

Kouji could no longer count everything he wanted to say that lay locked within him. He tilted his head back and fought for some kind of calm inside. "What can we expect at Soft Breeze Village?"

Pipimon blinked, as if not expecting the question, then tilted back and forth in thought. "Soup. A lot of soup. It's the main thing they do."

"They?"

"The Floramon and Mushmon who run the place. They also have places for travelers to stay over night. The wind blows there almost all the time, and it looks so beautiful. You might not want to leave once you see it."

Kouji had his own thoughts about that. He was supposed to collect Spirits and if there weren't any there, he wouldn't be staying once they'd had something to eat. But he didn't want to tell Pipimon that.

He kept on staring out of the window, not really thinking of anything in particular, but watching as the scenery flowed by. Very soon it was too dark to see anything at all out there other than almost formless shapes that seemed intended to spark nightmares.

At some point he thought Kouichi dozed off. He knew Pipimon did. It was hard to mistake, since despite the Digimon's small size, it snored loud enough to be mistaken for a herd of buffalo. If Kouichi had fallen asleep, Pipimon's snores didn't bother him at all.

_How can he sleep with all of that noise? Would he be like that if we'd grown up together? Would I?_

In spite of all of the racket, Kouji found his eyes closing a little somewhere in the night. He didn't fall all the way asleep, and that wasn't very unusual for him. He very seldom did when he was in a place he wasn't all that comfortable in, and so far the Digital World didn't meet his personal standards for comfort.

His eyes flew open when Franken whistled a stop, the sharp chugging sounds coming to a halt. "This is the stop for Soft Breeze village!" he declared. "The village itself is down the road a bit. Good luck!" A long yawn split the air. "I'm going to take a nap."

Kouji and Kouichi, who'd come to his feet at the first sound of the whistle, disembarked to find themselves at a small station much like the one that they'd left behind. Pipimon hadn't woken up, though the snores definitely softened a great deal. Kouichi moved over to the bench and settled his passenger there quietly.

Kouji took a look around. The lights here weren't strong enough for him to really get a good view of anything too far from the station, but he thought he could see something tall rising above all of the trees. Maybe it was a mountain of some kind. It might be worth looking at once the sun came up.

He glanced down at his D-Scan again, to find the screen buzzing softly. The same voice that he'd heard before spoke.

"Go to the Forest Terminal," she said; that and nothing more as the screen faded into shadows. Kouji shook it for a moment in the vague hope that she'd say something else.

"Forest Terminal?" he murmured to himself. He'd ask Franken about it in hte morning. Right now, the Trailmon snored in a fashion that put Pipimon to shame.

"You look like you should get some rest yourself, Kouji," Kouichi said, giving him a quiet look. "We don't know what could happen at this place."

Kouji thought about arguing about it. Thought about pointing out that he could evolve and Kouichi didn't have a Spirit so if anything attacked, he would need to be awake to defend Kouichi.

Kouichi looked from him to the bench, which still had just enough room for one of them to lay down on it. Kouji settled down, leaned back, and closed his eyes. In a very few seconds, he was deeper asleep than he'd been in his entire life.

**To Be Continued**


	8. Stubborn Light

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing involved in this story unless I invented it myself. This is written for fun, not for profit. All forms of feedback eagerly accepted. Concrit is loved the most, but everything is welcome.  
**Fandom:** Digimon Frontier  
**Title:** Eyes of Light: Chapter 8: Stubborn Light  
**Character:** Minamoto Kouji, Kimura Kouichi  
**Word Count:** chapter: 2,325||story: 17,585  
**Genre:** Adventure, Friendship||**Rated:** PG-13  
**Challenge:** Diversity Challenge, section L, #13: a multichap that is a series or season rewrite; Random Character Is Your Hero Challenge; &amp; what-If: What if the twins' mother died before Kouichi met Kouji? &amp; What if Kouji was the one searching for Kouichi?  
**Notes:** I don't know if this will have Kouji x Kouichi in it yet or not. The story will tell me in due time. This is going to be a rewrite of Digimon Frontier and it will _mostly_ follow the course of canon, but through Kouji's eyes. Some events will turn out differently, for various reasons, ranging from the type of what-ifs I chose as the basis for this to something I think should've happened differently.  
**Summary:** Kouji didn't expect a lot of things. He didn't expect to find out his mother had died. Or that he had a twin brother. Or that he was being called to a new world to fight in a war. Or that said twin brother would get on the train with him. And that was just the beginning.

* * *

Voices. Kouji heard voices. Almost at once his mind snapped into full awareness, but he didn't move. He wanted to know what was going on before did. He recognized one of them: Kouichi. Yes. He'd met his twin the day before. His mother…

He still didn't move. They were in the Digital World, and he was searching for Spirits. Those other voices…

Now he recognized them, though he couldn't put a name on either of the two he heard that weren't Kouichi's. One was the older kid he'd rescued when he'd gained Wolfmon's Spirit. The other was the girl who'd been there with Takuya. He'd only heard a handful of words from either of them, but just like with Kouichi, their names felt branded on his soul.

He didn't like that. He preferred to pick who he associated with, and since he didn't even know why they would cling to his mind, he didn't like that they were there.

Unfortunately, he knew he couldn't do anything about it at the moment. So he opened his eyes and sat up, looking right at them.

"Whoa, you're awake!" The older kid jumped back a little. "Do you always wake up like that?"

Kouji gave him a look before turning toward Kouichi and Pipimon, head tilted to the side, wanting to know what was going on.

"They're looking for the Forest Terminal too," Kouichi answered at once. He gestured toward the both of them. "Orimoto Izumi and Shibayama Junpei. And that's Bokomon and Neemon behind them."

Apparently introductions had happened while he was still asleep. He gave little more than an abrupt nod as he got to his feet. Kouichi already was on his feet, Pipimon sitting on his shoulder, tiny eyes going between each twin's face.

"Let's go," was all he said, paying no more attention to the newcomers than if they hadn't been there at all. If they wanted to tag along, it was none of his concern, but he wasn't going to waste his time keeping them out of danger. They weren't _Kouichi_.

He wasn't sure if the trail that he chose would take them into the village or not. From the way the voices behind him soon fell away from hearing, he thought it might not. Which would be kind of annoying, since Pipimon's descriptions of the soup available at Soft Breeze made his stomach rumble even now.

Kouichi kept in step with him, darting little looks every now and then. Only when they'd gone a decent way down did he say anything. "I think the other way led to the village," he said diplomatically. "We might be getting lost."

"I thought we wanted to have soup," Pipimon added in. Kouji bit his lip and couldn't bring himself to look at either of them right now.

_What do I tell them?_ That he didn't know how to talk to people? That he hated even trying? That these people had somehow imprinted themselves on him and he knew that if they needed it, he'd help them like he already had, and he didn't know why, and he _hated_ that?

"Let's check around first," he said at last, mentally wincing at how horrible the words sounded. He was avoiding those two and he knew it. What was more, Kouichi knew it, and he was pretty sure even Pipimon knew it.

He couldn't bring himself to say anything else, though. He didn't _want_ to go there and find the others seated, enjoying a good meal. He barely could manage eating with his dad and stepmom, and he knew them. He usually spent lunch at school in whatever corner he could find where no one would bother him. He'd go there once they'd left.

Kouichi glanced at him again. "Check for what?"

"Spirits," Kouji replied at once, latching onto it as soon as the word left his lips. "There could be one around here, and it might be yours." He couldn't really be that certain. In fact, since Kouichi didn't have a D-Scan of his own, he kind of doubted there would be one for him at all. But it meant there was a reason for this, and one that neither Kouichi nor Pipimon would argue too much about.

Pipimon did scrunch up a little though. "I hope we don't take too long. I'm hungry."

Kouichi patted him on the top of his head. "It won't, I'm sure." He didn't look at Kouji again. Kouji didn't object. He wasn't certain he could've borne it if Kouichi had.

Instead, he focused firmly on walking ahead, waiting to see if his D-Scan gave any kind of reaction at all. Kouichi still kept pace with him, looking around as if he expected some kind of spirit to simply jump out of nowhere and attach itself to him.

"How would we know if it's my spirit anyway, if we do find one?" Kouichi asked curiously. "Yours is Light, right?" At Kouji's nod, he kept on going. "So, would I get something like that?"

"I don't know." Kouji shrugged, trying to answer both questions at the same time. "I don't know what other kinds of spirits there are."

"I bet -" Kouichi's words broke off. He shook his head a little. "We can try to find out? Maybe ask someone?"

It wasn't such a bad idea. Kouji didn't know who they could ask.

_Ask one of them. Those others._ He didn't think that was Wolfmon's voice. It didn't seem to be. It felt more like his own. Like his own guilt in avoiding them wanted to make up for it by asking things that they might know.

He steeled himself and kept on walking. "If we meet anyone who does know, we can." He wasn't going to turn around just yet. He'd need a lot more reason to do it than maybe a question that they _might_ know. If he knew that they _did_, that would be different.

Without warning, his D-scan pulsed and Kouji stopped where he was, pulling it out and staring at it. "A Spirit?" he murmured, looking around. If it was, then where was it? He took another few steps, trying to get a better idea of where it might be, glancing briefly at Kouichi to see if he'd noticed anything.

Kouichi looked at him for a few seconds, then both of their heads swiveled as if on the same cord, called by voices that they didn't recognize. Pipimon remained silent, though from the way its own eyes turned that way, it heard the noise as well.

Side by side Kouji and Kouichi moved to where the voices came from and the closer they got, the clearer the voices were.

"- still don't believe it!" That was the first thing they could clearly hear. "Human children? In _our_ village?"

A second voice piped up. "I saw 'em myself! Two of 'em, and a couple of Digimon with them."

The twins exchanged a quick glance and moved a little closer, wanting to know more about what was going on.

"So what are we going to do about it?" A third voice joined in. From the way it was said, this one already knew the answer to the question and just wanted the others to confirm it.

The first voice raised again in laughter. "You know what we're going to do! We're going to go beat those human brats up! What do they think they're doing in the Digital World anyway?"

All three laughed even harder, their voices and footsteps fading away in a matter of moments.

Kouji looked at Kouichi. Neither of them needed to ask what they should do about this. Kouji's dislike of bullies hadn't changed overnight, and what they had in mind was nothing more or less than that.

Quick as a pair of cats, the twins turned on their heels and hurried back in the direction of Soft Breeze Village.

* * *

By the time they got there, it was almost too late to do anything. Kouji halted on the edge of the trees when he saw what was going on, Kouichi and Pipimon right beside him. A small spread of Floramon lay huddled near the base of the giant tree, with Junpei standing in between them and Izumi.

Izumi herself stood facing three Mushmon, and Kouji quickly recognized their voices as the ones he'd heard before. His eyes narrowed and he snatched up his D-Scan, ready to charge into battle at a moment's notice.

Only it didn't work out quite like that. From deep within the heart of the tree there came first a shimmering glow, followed by something that could only be a Spirit. Kouji tensed up, not certain of what was going to happen.

Sweeping right past Junpei, whose eyes had been wide with anticipation, and landing in Izumi's pale purple D-Scan, the Spirit attached itself to her.

"Spirit Evolution!" Her voice trilled out bright and cheerful. No one could see what was going on, until the light cleared and she reappeared, taller and wearing armor now. "Fairymon!"

_The Warrior of Wind,_ Wolfmon's instincts told Kouji. Kouji barely paid attention, his own focus on the fight and if he'd have to get into it.

Several kicks and punches, as well as the whirlwind force of her Brezza Petallo and Tornado Gamba attacks, knocked the Mushmon to the ground. The three of them recovered themselves in a heartbeat.

"We're not going to forgive you for this!" they declared in unison, leaping to stack together. At first Kouji thought they just wanted to get more height; Fairymon could fly and they couldn't. But then that familiar stream of code surrounded them and he remembered when he'd fought the Pagumon.

Fairymon didn't look at all impressed when Woodmon made his appearance. Kouji kept on watching, making certain he had a clear line if she ended up needing help.

Instead, she charged swiftly toward Woodmon, leaped into the air, and turned to … well, that wasn't an attack Kouji could say he'd ever expected to see, even with only one day's fighting experience behind him. 'Arido Anca' didn't seem to do that much good, but her powerful Roseo Temporale kicks at least pushed Woodmon back a little.

One more kick sent him stumbling back another pace, but he pushed forward a heartbeat later. "You're going to have to do better than that, butterfly! That didn't even tickle! Let's see if you can take this! Branch Drill!"

One long stream of wood shot toward her, almost too fast for the human eye to follow. Fairymon wasn't human, however, and she darted out of the way as lithe as a petal on the breeze, letting the branch attack fall to the ground useless.

"Go, Fairymon!" Junpei cheered from the sidelines, waving a shovel he'd acquired from somewhere fearlessly. "Teach him who's boss!"

Kouji would've preferred if the older boy had kept his mouth shut. People who couldn't fight should stay out of it, in his opinion. Unfortunately, it appeared that bit of wisdom had escaped Junpei. The fact he was standing there practically undefended did not escape Woodmon, and a second slash with his branch headed right for the human.

Fairymon dropped down from above onto the branch, grabbing it and beating her wings as fast as they could manage to go. Junpei stumbled off to the side, streaks of blood and splinters visible from where the tips of Woodmon's branch had brushed him.

"Get back!" Fairymon shouted, beating her armored feet on Woodmon's arm in a furious tempo. "You don't have a Spirit!"

Kouji thought he saw the other wince, but there was no time to be certain of it. He didn't want to interfere in Fairymon's fight. He wouldn't have wanted anyone to interfere in his, especially when she was doing this well. So instead, he darted over to where the Floramon were and started to urge them out of the way.

"She can do this better if she's not worrying about you," Kouji told them. He didn't know if Fairymon _would_ worry about them, but it at least got them moving, and he knew that _he_ wouldn't be worrying.

He threw a quick glance over his shoulder, just in time to see her firing off a powerful Tornado Gamba, followed by one Breeza Petallo, and then another, the force of all them combining to knock Woodmon down for the count.

_Wind is a lot more dangerous than you'd think,_ he thought, still watching out for any enemies that might try to turn up while she was fighting.

Woodmon's feet kicked uselessly as he tried to squirm up, the code surrounding him once more as he did. Fairymon stood with her D-Scan in hand.

"Through a fresh wind," she said, standing proud and strong, "this Digivice will purity you into a beautiful and just soul!"

"Wait, what?" Woodmon had time only for those words before Fairymon scanned his data and he collapsed back into the three Mushmon brothers, all of whom looked equally confused about what had just happened to them.

Fairymon landed back on the ground, transforming back into Izumi as she did. She stared at the D-Scan in her hands before turning it on the land around them and touching the same button on hers that Kouji had on his not that long ago. Light burst forth, blinding everyone there, and when it faded, the giant tree above them glowed with brilliant new leaves and life. The bare ground was bare no longer, but covered in thick grass and flowers of every color of the rainbow.

Izumi looked to where Kouji stood, the Floramon already starting to come back out, and then over to where Kouichi came closer, each step taken nervously. Kouji thought that despite everything, his brother wasn't any more used to being around people than he was.

"So," Izumi said, eyes going between the two. "Would you guys like to stay for some soup?"

**To Be Continued**


	9. Searching For The Way

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing involved in this story unless I invented it myself. This is written for fun, not for profit. All forms of feedback eagerly accepted. Concrit is loved the most, but everything is welcome.  
**Fandom:** Digimon Frontier  
**Title:** Eyes of Light: Chapter 9: Searching For The Way  
**Character:** Minamoto Kouji, Kimura Kouichi  
**Word Count:** chapter: 2,331||story: 19,916  
**Genre:** Adventure, Friendship||**Rated:** PG-13  
**Challenge:** Diversity Challenge, section L, #13: a multichap that is a series or season rewrite; Random Character Is Your Hero Challenge; &amp; what-If: What if the twins' mother died before Kouichi met Kouji? &amp; What if Kouji was the one searching for Kouichi?  
**Notes:** I don't know if this will have Kouji x Kouichi in it yet or not. The story will tell me in due time. This is going to be a rewrite of Digimon Frontier and it will _mostly_ follow the course of canon, but through Kouji's eyes. Some events will turn out differently, for various reasons, ranging from the type of what-ifs I chose as the basis for this to something I think should've happened differently.  
**Summary:** Kouji didn't expect a lot of things. He didn't expect to find out his mother had died. Or that he had a twin brother. Or that he was being called to a new world to fight in a war. Or that said twin brother would get on the train with him. And that was just the beginning.

* * *

Kouji had to admit, the soup that the Mushmon and Floramon made was worth sticking around for. He hadn't made up his mind on if it were worth eating with some strangers, but so far so good. To his surprise, having Kouichi there helped a great deal, if only because he did most of the talking right now.

"We don't really know how to get to the Forest Terminal," his brother said after downing a spoonful or two and exulting about how good it was.

Junpei rolled his eyes, leaning back in his chair. Apparently they'd eaten before crossing paths once more with the twins. Not that this stopped Izumi from having another bowl. "Neither do we."

Izumi waved her spoon at him. "But we must be going the right way, since we found my Spirit!" In her other hand she waved her D-Scan, now glimmering with the Spirit of Wind.

Kouji wondered if that voice had meant for him to take Spirits from other people who found them before he did. Or if these Spirits were actually meant for different people, so even if he wanted to, he couldn't take this one.

For some kind of cosmic scavenger hunt, they hadn't been told the rules very well. If at all.

He paid more attention to his own soup, nodding the occasional thanks toward the Floramon and Mushmon, and trying to make certain Pipimon didn't drown in his own bowl. The other three could talk about whatever it was they wanted.

And those were _not_ sparks of jealousy that Kouichi talked to people who weren't him, even though they scarcely knew each other any better than they knew the two humans or the two Digimon. They were not. Kouji didn't get jealous. He'd never had anything or anyone that he wanted to be jealous of.

"What is that?" he found himself asking somewhat halfway into the meal, indicating the book that the one short Digimon with the pink thing around the middle kept paging through.

"This?" The Digimon looked back at him, tilting its head to the side. "This contains virtually everything that there is to know about the Digital World, its history, and the tragic straits we found ourselves in now."

"Tragic straits?" Kouji repeated the words, glancing around as he did. That seemed a little dramatic for what he knew about what was going on.

The Digimon seemed to take that as a cue to start talking, spilling out a long tale about the history of this world and how Lucemon had once ruled it with kindness, only to fall prey to evil and be bound up by the Legendary Warriors.

"And those Legendary Warriors are the Spirits that you two now have," the Digimon, Bokomon, said at least, pointing from Izumi to Kouji. "Along with Takuya-han and Tomoki-han."

Kouji blinked. "The kid got a Spirit too?" Well, that was unexpected. He'd wondered why someone that young was here in the first place.

Junpei grumbled, not meeting anyone's eyes. "Yeah. The Spirit of Ice. Now I'm the only one who doesn't have one." His eyes flicked to Izumi's D-Scan for a heartbeat. "I thought maybe..." HE shrugged and shook his head. "Nah, I'd look stupid like that anyway, wouldn't I?" His laugh wasn't all that convincing. Even if it had been, the way he stared from Kouji's D-Scan to Izumi's told a different tale. This guy wanted a Spirit. He wanted one _badly_.

"Don't worry, Junpei," Izumi said as she patted his hand, a kind smile turning her lips upward. "You'll get one, I'm sure of it."

Kouichi fidgeted with his spoon, then looked at Junpei. "You're not the only one without one. I don't have one either, and I'm probably not going to get one." He indicated the D-Scans himself. "I don't have one of those."

Izumi and Junpei both stared at him. Kouji shifted, glaring back with all the fire he could muster. If they so much as _breathed_ in his brother's general direction because of that, then he wouldn't stay another minute with them. He wouldn't stay another _second_.

"Then how did you get the message?" Izumi asked after a few tense breaths. "From… whoever that is?"

Kouji wasn't certain if he was relieved that they didn't know who the voice was any more than he did or not. He decided that it didn't matter. At least they didn't have information that he didn't. Not too much of it anyway.

Kouichi dropped his eyes, fingering the spoon in his hand still. "I didn't. I just followed Kouji when he got on the train."

Silence rang between them once again. Kouji broke it himself. "I don't care if he has one or not." _I'll watch out for him._ He didn't say the words but they spun true in his heart nevertheless.

"Why wouldn't you get it, though?" Junpei looked more than a little confused. Kouichi simply shrugged.

"Maybe because I don't have a phone." He said nothing about why. Izumi caught Junpei's eye and shook her head a fraction. Kouji could almost see Junpei mentally zipping his lips and held himself back from snorting.

_He likes her._ It couldn't have been more obvious if Junpei had flown a flag with that fact on it.

"Doesn't matter. He's here now and if he gets a Spirit, then he gets one," Kouji stated before he stood up. "I think it's time to go, Kouichi."

Kouichi glanced up at him for a second, then stood up as well, holding his arms out for Pipimon before he looked back at the others. "Maybe we'll see you at the Forest Terminal?"

"As soon as we all figure out where it is," Izumi replied, a wide teasing grin now on her face. "Good luck!"

Kouichi nodded, looked again at Junpei, and took a step closer to him. "You'll get your Spirit. I'm sure you will. Just be patient."

Junpei looked away, then looked back, a tiny determined crease between his eyes. "You'll get something to. Just wait and see."

Kouji thought that was more than enough support and started for the door. Kouichi followed swiftly on his heels, but waited until they were out of sight and sound before he said anything.

"We could've stayed with them. Wouldn't it be safer to be around more people? Especially since they have Spirits too?"

"I'm not that much of a people person," Kouji muttered, not looking at his twin. "Besides, we can probably get there faster on our own."

"Are you sure?" Kouichi rested a hand on Kouji's arm, but Kouji still didn't look at him. "We don't know where we're going. We're just kind of walking."

Kouji shrugged, but not enough to dislodge Kouichi's hand. "They're doing the same thing."

Kouichi bit his lip but said nothing more about it. That was just as well by Kouji's way of thinking. He didn't want to get Kouichi upset, but he couldn't imagine himself in some huge group of people. And 'huge' by his standards currently meant more people who weren't Kouichi. He didn't quite count Pipimon, who stayed quiet more than it didn't.

That brought something to mind. "Pipimon, do you want to go back to your home now that we've had lunch here?" And it really had been worth the trouble, even fighting RedVegimon and meeting those other two with Spirits.

Pipimon blinked at the two of them. "I- I'd rather stay with you two, if you don't mind." The small Digimon fidgeted, eyes shifting between them. "Please?"

Kouichi met Kouji's eyes for a heartbeat. "I don't mind. Do you?"

Kouji shrugged again. "I'm fine with it." It wasn't as if Pipimon was that much of a problem. Small enough to hide under a thick leaf if necessary, the Digimon also knew a few things about this world and could probably be useful.

Pipimon wiggled harder against Kouichi, who held him just a bit tighter. "Glad to have you aboard then, Pipimon," Kouichi said, a swift grin tilting his lips up. Kouji shoved his hands into his pockets and kept on walking. He didn't know where the Forest Terminal was, but they weren't going to get there by just sitting around doing nothing in particular.

* * *

Wherever the Forest Terminal was, it clearly wasn't a place that could be reached inside of a few days. Kouji aimed for the rails once more, in the hopes that they would be able to find a Trailmon who knew where it was and would be willing to take them there. But by the time the sun drew closer to setting, there hadn't been a single sign of any Trailmon at all, much less one going the way they wanted to go.

"Looks like we're going to have to find some place to sleep tonight," Kouji murmured, not quite liking the look of this. By now they'd walked a fair distance from Soft Breeze Village, and going back would be more trouble than it was worth. Train tracks stretched ahead and behind of them, with trees scattered here and there, and yet no way at all to tell what might lie in any given direction.

There was also nothing at all to tell where might be a good place to rest. Sleeping on a Trailmon or at a station made a lot more sense than just curling up underneath a bush, and yet Kouji couldn't see any other options than doing just that.

Kouichi looked all around, clearly not seeing anything different than what Kouji did. "Is it safe?"

"Do we have a choice?" Kouji countered. He scanned the area again, spying a low rise of what looked like hills not all that far off. He hadn't thought much about them before, but now he thought he had an idea. "Let's head that way."

"Why there?"

Kouji started off the quasi-trail they'd followed, which was really more of a vague suggestion than anything else. Even the Trailmon rails didn't come this way. "There might be caves there. We can sleep there."

"There might be Digimon there too," Pipimon added. "We can ask if we can stay the night with them if we find any." A moment of silence before Pipimon spoke again. "If they're nice Digimon. Ones who Cherubimon hasn't messed with."

The only thing Kouji wished he had asked the other kids and Bokomon about, now that he thought about it, was anything they knew about Cherubimon. He didn't know much and what he did know he didn't like.

_If we can get to the Forest Terminal, we can probably find something out there._ And who knew, maybe they could find someone along the way who would know something that would be useful. Maybe someone who wasn't those kids.

Kouji didn't exactly dislike those kids, at least not any more than he actively disliked anyone else in particular. But that in no way meant that he wanted to hang out with them.

_What would be the point? We're not going to be in this world forever. So why bother?_ Kouji didn't like meeting people just to say good-bye again. He'd done that enough times and he'd had his fill of it years ago. If people weren't going to stick around in his life on a regular basis, he wasn't going to bother himself with getting to know them.

That meant right now the only person he really wanted to get to know was Kouichi. Whatever else happened when they went back home, he wasn't going to let Kouichi slip out of his life. He'd never been meant to be out of it in the first place. He'd fight for Kouichi if he had to. Even if he didn't have to. He'd fight to keep him around, no matter what.

The hills grew ever closer, and with the same passage of time, the sun slipped farther out of sight. One by one the three moons rose over the horizon, hanging like gigantic bubbles in the sky.

"Can you imagine what the tides are like here?" Kouichi murmured, staring up at the moons. "I mean, three moons?"

"I hadn't thought about it." Kouji didn't really stare up at the moon back home all that much. But he did remember about how the moon affected the tides, so Kouichi was probably right about that.

The idea of how far away they were from home, of how worried his father probably was, slipped through the back of Kouji's thoughts. His dad had expected him home shortly after visiting the cemetery. He'd wanted to talk about things, and Kouji didn't think that it was entirely the fact that today… no, the day before… had been their third anniversary.

_Well, I don't mind being here instead._ The people that Kouji didn't like talking to included his father, now more than ever. Maybe once he wasn't as angry about what had happened with Kouichi and his mother, then he'd want to talk to him. But that time wasn't now.

"Come on," Kouichi said, touching the side of Kouji's hand. Kouji had never liked being touched by strangers. But this was his brother. He could never object to this. "The sooner we get there, the better, right?"

Kouji nodded, picking up his pace. The moons gave enough light for them to see where they were going, sending a strange mixture of shadows and light over the land that struck all the right chords in his mind.

* * *

"My warriors," Cherubimon said, looking down at the four who knelt before him. "The time has come for you to go out into the world on a more permanent basis. There is someone I wish you to bring to me."

With a simple flex of his power, the image of a human boy appeared before them. "He is to be brought before me unharmed, and as soon as possible. Do you understand?"

"Yes, Cherubimon-sama!" The four chorused, and vanished in their respective fashions.

Cherubimon smiled. So close. So _very_ close.

**To Be Continued**


	10. Eyes For Darkness

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing involved in this story unless I invented it myself. This is written for fun, not for profit. All forms of feedback eagerly accepted. Concrit is loved the most, but everything is welcome.  
**Fandom:** Digimon Frontier  
**Title:** Eyes of Light: Chapter 10: Eyes for Darkness  
**Character:** Minamoto Kouji, Kimura Kouichi  
**Word Count:** chapter: 2,127||story: 22,043  
**Genre:** Adventure, Friendship||**Rated:** PG-13  
**Challenge:** Diversity Challenge, section L, #13: a multichap that is a series or season rewrite; Random Character Is Your Hero Challenge; &amp; what-If: What if the twins' mother died before Kouichi met Kouji? &amp; What if Kouji was the one searching for Kouichi?  
**Notes:** I don't know if this will have Kouji x Kouichi in it yet or not. The story will tell me in due time. This is going to be a rewrite of Digimon Frontier and it will _mostly_ follow the course of canon, but through Kouji's eyes. Some events will turn out differently, for various reasons, ranging from the type of what-ifs I chose as the basis for this to something I think should've happened differently.  
**Summary:** Kouji didn't expect a lot of things. He didn't expect to find out his mother had died. Or that he had a twin brother. Or that he was being called to a new world to fight in a war. Or that said twin brother would get on the train with him. And that was just the beginning.

* * *

Junpei could hardly believe it. He kept staring down at his D-Scan as if he expected the spirit hidden within to suddenly vanish, perhaps to fly off to someone else, and he'd never see it again. But it stayed right where it was, and he could feel Blitzmon's presence, sharp and strong as a bolt of lightning, thrumming next to his heart.

Funny that he got the Spirit of Thunder, when he – well, he'd worry about that some other time. When he'd evolved, it hadn't mattered anyway. He'd kind of thought at the time it was just because he was so happy to have the Spirit and be able to fight alongside of his new friends, but now, he wondered if it was something more.

How could the one who threw the lightning fear it, after all?

He'd worry about that later, he decided. When he wasn't quite so thrilled still to look at that small device and see the emblem of the Warrior of Thunder looking back at him.

_I really got one. Kouichi was right._ He really wanted to tell the other boy about this. The problem with that was that he didn't have the foggiest idea of where Kouichi _was_ or how to get in touch with him. Sure, their D-Scans had all been phones once upon a time – a massive three days earlier – but they couldn't make phone calls now and even if they could, Kouichi himself had said that he didn't have one.

Well, they'd all meet at the Forest Terminal, wherever that was and whenever they got there.

He managed to pull his eyes away just a little to look at the rest of the group. They'd done a good thing helping out at the Wind Factory, but one thing hadn't changed: they hadn't managed to find a single thing that they could eat.

"So where now?" he asked, looking from the pile of people to the two Digimon.

"We need to find something to eat," Izumi said, covering her eyes with her arm. "I'm _starving_."

Junpei considered offering her some chocolate. He still had a few more bars tucked away inside of his clothes, and he'd give them all to her if that would've helped. The trouble with that was he didn't think that it would. Not enough, anyway.

Besides, the last thing that he wanted was for Izumi to break out into pimples. She look fantastic no matter what, but he didn't think she'd feel the same way about it.

"Where can we get some food?" Takuya tilted his head toward Neemon and Bokomon. "Anything nearby?"

"There's a market about half a day that way," Bokomon said after taking a few moments to check out the area and presumably get some kind of a fix on where they were. "We should be able to find a restaurant there."

Junpei liked that idea. They were already two days away from Soft Breeze Village and their delicious soup, and he could feel the hunger pangs clawing at him.

"Then let's get going!" He wondered what the odds were of meeting those two guys there again. _Guess I'll find out when we get there._

* * *

Finding one human in the Digital World should not have been that difficult. Mercuremon expected it would take little more than an hour or two from the moment Cherubimon-sama gave them the command to do so.

Two days later and he still had no more idea than he'd had at that moment where that particular human might be, and the Warrior of Steel did not _like_ that at all.

_Where is he?_ Once he knew where someone was, he could find them again in moments with his mirrors. But he needed that initial finding to set tabs on them in the first place.

How difficult could it be? Far more so than he'd ever realized, and he was still determined to be the one who brought Cherubimon—sama's prize to him. He didn't know why his master wished this human brought to him, nor did he truly care all that much. Cherubimon-sama wanted him, therefore Cherubimon-sama would have him.

Eventually. Mercuremon cared nothing for Cherubimon's reasoning for desiring the human, but he wanted to make certain for himself if this human could be of any use to _him_ before he handed him over.

Humans were strange creatures. He'd never met one before and had heard only stories about them. The closest he'd ever come to knowing one were those Digimon, like himself, who were considered human-type Digimon. But being a human-type and being a _human_ were two entirely different entities altogether.

Cherubimon-sama wasn't going to give them any more help than he already had. They knew what the child looked like and that was all he would tell them.

But there were other source of information and Mercuremon put himself to tracking those down. He knew Ranamon was doing the same, working through her fan clubs and the connection she had to the various water sources throughout the world. If their target drew too near to one of them, then she'd know about it. If she cared to notice in time. If something distracted her, like her own reflection, then Mercuremon did not doubt he could still pull off the coup and become their master's most favored warrior.

He didn't even consider Arbormon or Grottomon as competition here. Neither had the kind of mind that would be wily enough for this search. He didn't think they were stupid – well, maybe Arbormon – but they were both more interested in other points than in searching down random humans.

All to the good for him. They might be his allies, but they were not his friends, and if they ended up defeated, then so be it. They weren't good enough for the job.

He wondered how good for the task the Warrior of Darkness would be. They all knew that Cherubimon-sama held the Spirits of Darkness in his grip, but no one suitable enough to claim them had risen yet. Many had tried. All had failed.

Something clicked in the depths of Mercuremon's mind. _We need someone to carry those spirits. Cherubimon-sama wishes this human brought here. Could it be..._

If it were true, then it became even more vital to seize the human as soon as possible. Mercuremon set out once again. He would not fail his master.

* * *

Tracking down his future warrior could not have been simpler for Cherubimon. Darkness radiated from Kimura Kouichi, calling to the Spirits that were as destined for him as those of Light were for his brother.

Cherubimon inspected them both once more. He'd worked hard for many years to corrupt them in just the right ways so that they still had all of their power and yet whoever carried them would not be able to change them. He wouldn't know if it had worked completely until he actually saw Kouichi transform with them, though. It would be a chance that he would have to take.

Though he thought perhaps doing a little corrupting of Kouichi as well would help matters. That would be somewhat more difficult than what he'd done to the Spirits of Darkness. They were not inanimate objects, but had a will of their own, one that would make certain they bonded only to the proper person. But corrupting them in their current state had been much easier, since their will was so much lessened where they were.

Kouichi, on the other hand, seethed with resentment, anger, and grief, all beneath the surface, kept tightly wrapped by his burgeoning bond with his brother.

_I could've done this much easier if they hadn't met._ It would not have been easy to draw Kouichi to the Digital World without access to the Trailmon, but he knew he would've found a way. That boy's darkness called from a world away. But he knew that he could work through this. He knew how to find what it was that his prey wished the most and how to spin matters so they could get it.

He'd done it for the other Warriors, after all. It hadn't been difficult for them, either. Each one of them wanted power in some fashion or other and he'd been able to give it to them, in the forms of their Spirits.

Kouichi would be no different. The boy wanted power, but of a different kind than his other Warriors. He wanted revenge on his father, he wanted to hate his brother so much. That Cherubimon could _definitely_ provide. Perhaps the two of them getting to know each other wasn't that much of an issue at all. It could be spun to his advantage with very little effort. Any human or Digimon could fall prey to the perils of anger, rage, and the desire to have what they felt was theirs, whether or not it really was. Being children made it even easier.

Cherubimon knew where these human Warriors would end up, sooner or later. There wasn't really anywhere else they could go except to those two locations where Seraphimon and Ophanimon remained imprisoned. He would have his warriors ready to deal with them when the time came.

_All_ of his warriors: those of Steel and of Water, of Wood and of Earth. And of Darkness.

For Kimura Kouichi _was_ his and he would not allow anyone, not even Ophanimon, to take what was his from him.

* * *

Ophanimon stretched out her senses to their fullest extent, touching briefly onto each of the D-Scans she'd given to those who had become the new Legendary Warriors. She could keep in touch with them like that, though her ability to speak with them was limited.

At least she could give them directions to where to find Seraphimon and herself, in due course. They were the only ones who could free the two of them, and with their help she and Seraphimon could then defeat Cherubimon.

Her heart ached at the thought of her one-time companion. How had he fallen so far and she and Seraphimon hadn't noticed until it was too late? They'd worked so hard to keep the peace between the two factions of Digimon and in a mere eyeblink it had all fallen apart.

She wasn't even certain of how much time had passed since then. Time grew strange and uncertain in this prison of hers. But she thought it could not have been that long. The Digital World still existed, after all, so Cherubimon's plans hadn't yet reached their fullest extent.

If only she'd been able to save those Spirits from him. Then she could've brought children to this world who could've bonded to all of them, instead of nearly an even split.

But there was no use in fretting over the failures of the past, not when so many more threatened in the future. She would have to do something about Kouichi, before Cherubimon found a way to corrupt him as well. That boy was every bit the Warrior that his brother was, but with the powers of Darkness held by Cherubimon, it was far too dangerous to allow him to take them.

_I will have to find a way to send him home._ Perhaps one of the Trailmon? She'd been able to speak to them enough to persuade them to bring all of those children here in the first place. It was not something she especially enjoyed thinking about, but the consequences of doing nothing at all were far worse.

Kouji wouldn't like it at all. She wanted to tell him it was for the best, that Cherubimon's power was too strong for her to even attempt to purify the Spirits of Darkness if she didn't have them in her hands, and so long as she remained here, that would never happen. Even if they freed her, Cherubimon kept the Spirits hidden where only he could get to them.

The ultimate problem with that was that she didn't know if they could defeat Cherubimon without all of the Spirits, and sending away the one person who could use one of them might end up endangering all of them. At least the others who held Wood, Water, Steel, and Earth could be purified. Doing so for Darkness wasn't that easy, and even if it had been, she wasn't going to put Kouichi through that.

Drawing in an unnecessary breath, she reached out to find the closest Trailmon to where the twins currently walked. She would have to tell Kouji to send his brother home. And he would hate her forever for it, she did not doubt.

But better he hate her than the world itself be destroyed. He would understand one day. So she hoped. So she most fervently hoped.

**To Be Continued**


	11. Even More Stubborn Light

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing involved in this story unless I invented it myself. This is written for fun, not for profit. All forms of feedback eagerly accepted. Concrit is loved the most, but everything is welcome.  
**Fandom:** Digimon Frontier  
**Title:** Eyes of Light: Chapter 11: Even More Stubborn Light  
**Character:** Minamoto Kouji, Kimura Kouichi  
**Word Count:** chapter: 2,127||story: 24,170  
**Genre:** Adventure, Friendship||**Rated:** PG-13  
**Challenge:** Diversity Challenge, section L, #13: a multichap that is a series or season rewrite; Random Character Is Your Hero Challenge; &amp; what-If: What if the twins' mother died before Kouichi met Kouji? &amp; What if Kouji was the one searching for Kouichi?  
**Notes:** I don't know if this will have Kouji x Kouichi in it yet or not. The story will tell me in due time. This is going to be a rewrite of Digimon Frontier and it will _mostly_ follow the course of canon, but through Kouji's eyes. Some events will turn out differently, for various reasons, ranging from the type of what-ifs I chose as the basis for this to something I think should've happened differently.  
**Summary:** Kouji didn't expect a lot of things. He didn't expect to find out his mother had died. Or that he had a twin brother. Or that he was being called to a new world to fight in a war. Or that said twin brother would get on the train with him. And that was just the beginning.

* * *

_Hasn't anyone ever heard of mapping this world?_ Kouji kept his grumbles behind his teeth, mostly because he didn't want to upset Kouichi. They still hadn't found anything that could be his Spirit, nor any other Spirits for Kouji. And they still weren't anywhere closer to knowing where the Forest Terminal was or what they would have to do when they got there.

Kouji spent at least an hour or so a day staring at his D-Scan and trying to figure out how he could use it to get in touch with that voice. Which really ended up meaning that he spent an hour or so out of the day staring at the D-Scan and not finding out anything, because there was never a reply.

If it hadn't been for Kouichi, he wouldn't have bothered. But he had to at least know if there was a way for his twin to have a Spirit of his own, even without a D-Scan.

Ahead of them stretched a length of Trailmon track, though there wasn't any sign of a Trailmon or a station they could check for a schedule. Just rails, going from one side to the other, as far as the eye could see.

"Any idea of who runs this track, Pipimon?" Kouji asked, sliding a quick look at their Digimon companion. Pipimon blinked, coming out of a light doze, and looked ahead of them.

"It could be Worm," Pipimon offered after a few moments. "But I'm a little out of my territory here."

Even though he'd said he wanted to stay with them, Kouji still wondered if it might not be better to find a way to return Pipimon to his own home. Sure, he didn't take up that much space, but this world could be dangerous, and something could hurt him without even being aware of it.

_I'll just have to make certain that doesn't happen._ Kouji refused to let something small and helpless be hurt if he had something to say about it.

"We can wait and see if whichever Trailmon it is comes along and see where they go," Kouji finally decided, moving on toward the tracks. He could not help but hope that they received an answer of 'I go straight to the Forest Terminal, we'll be there in half an hour, would you care for lunch?'

He didn't think that they _would_ but he couldn't stop himself from hoping anyway.

Aside from not having any convenient benches to rest on while they waited, there weren't even any trees to try sitting underneath. Just an endless stretch of bland plain as far as the eye could see, no matter where they looked. Mountains rose up out of the plains off to the west, the way they'd been going before spying the tracks.

"I wonder if we should try that way?" Kouichi asked, looking at the mountains as well. "I mean, if this thing with Trailmon doesn't work out?"

"Maybe," Kouji said, taking another look that way himself. "It doesn't look much like where a Forest Terminal would be to me, though."

"Maybe there are woods on the other side? Or at least someone we could get directions from," Kouichi said. "It's worth checking into anyway, isn't it?"

"Right, right." Kouji didn't want to argue about it. They had to go somewhere and there was just as good as anywhere.

Picking a place to settle down, Kouji hoped that they wouldn't have to wait all that long. Afternoon would soon slip into evening and he didn't fancy this stretch of nothing to rest in overnight. Though on the good side, at least no one would be able to sneak up on them, not in this flat place.

For lack of anything else to do, since Kouichi didn't seem in a talkative mood, he pulled his D-Scan out and gave it a long, measuring look. As always, it hadn't so much as beeped in the last day or so. He gave it a slightly annoyed shake, but still nothing.

_If you want me to collect these Spirits and if you claim you can answer my questions, then why don't you talk to me?_ He pressed his lips together, trying not to show how annoyed he was.

"Where do you think those kids are?" Kouichi asked, tilting his head back to stare up at the sky. A flock of Poyomon ghosted past, murmuring to themselves about whatever it was Poyomon talked about to one another. Kouji wondered if they could give directions. None of them seemed interested in coming down to talk, though. He let himself watch those instead of thinking about the answer to Kouichi's question, or even why Kouichi asked it in the first place, until his brother repeated it, now staring at him a little more firmly.

"I don't know." He fidgeted, trying to shape the words right. " Kouichi, I -" How to say that he didn't like people in general and would be just as glad to never speak to them again? That he didn't want to waste his time getting to know people who he'd probably never see again once they left this world?

He didn't have to, not when a Trailmon's whistle split the air and the Trailmon itself chugged into view over the horizon. This one was small and pink and fast and pulled to a stop not that far from them.

"Oh, hi there," Kouichi said, taking a step forward. Kouji joined him, never having been quite so happy to see a Digital train in his entire life. "Is this your route?"

"Yes, it is," the Trailmon murmured, peering at them from small eyes – small for a Trailmon, anyway. "I'm Mole."

"Nice to meet you, Mole," Kouichi said, a warm little smile gracing his lips. "I'm Kimura Kouichi, and this is Pipimon." He waved a greeting before looking at Kouji, wanting him to introduce himself.

Kouji had more important things to say, though. "We need to go to the Forest Terminal. Can you get us there?"

"Forest Terminal? No, I don't go that way," Mole said, ducking his head down a little more. "But I'm here for a different reason anyway."

"You are?" Kouji and Kouichi glanced at one another for a brief moment, their voices blending as they both asked the question. Kouji could see the laughter in Kouichi's eyes and wanted to return it wholeheartedly. _Maybe later,_ he promised himself.

Mole nodded his great head. "I'm supposed to take someone back to the human world." He fidgeted, his wheels scraping on the tracks. "Now, who was it..." He hummed for a moment before looking back at them. "Did you say that you were Kimura Kouichi?"

Kouichi nodded, his arm tightening around Pipimon.

"Then you should get in. I'm supposed to take you back to your world." One of the doors on the side opened up. "You'd better hurry, the sooner we get this done, the better."

Kouichi's eyes widened and he took a step back. "But I don't want to go back. I'm staying here, with Kouji."

Mole didn't move. "Those were my orders. I can't tell _her_ no. She wouldn't like that."

Kouji growled under his breath. "Who are you talking about?" He had a sudden feeling that he knew, and he did not like this at all.

Before Mole could answer, the screen on Kouji's D-Scan list up. "Minamoto Kouji, Kimura Kouichi. I am truly sorry, but Kouichi must return to the human world. It is too dangerous for him to stay here. I would gladly let you two remain together if it could be done, but for the safety of the Digital World -"

"I don't care!" Kouji spat the words out, staring at the device. "You think I'm just going to send him back and not ever think about him again? Not ever care that I might not see him again?" What kind of a person did she think he was?

Kouichi started to reach for him, but Kouji shook his head harshly, stepping back, still staring at the D-Scan. "Just who are you? Who do you think you are playing with us like this? _How dare you give me my brother and try to take him away again?_"

It was the question he really wanted to ask his father, and he knew it. How dare he have a brother and their father never so much as mention the fact? It wasn't right. It should never have happened. And now that he knew Kouichi at last, he wasn't going to give him up.

"I'm not going," Kouichi said, staring at the device in his own turn. "I don't know who you are, but I didn't come here because of _you_. I'd like to help Kouji if I can, but I'm not here for _you_. I'm here for _him_. If you don't want me to help him, that's okay. I'll do it anyway. I don't care if I don't have any kind of a Spirit. There has to be something else that I can do. But I'm not leaving Kouji. Not now and not ever."

The D-Scan's screen flickered, as if whoever it was on the other side's connection wasn't strong.

"This is for your own good, Kouichi," the voice said at last, a little weaker than before. "So much could be at risk if -" Before whatever she had to say was finished, the light and voice both faded away.

Kouji planted his feet and stared at Mole. "Kouichi's not going anywhere." He didn't care who he upset with this. Short of the world itself exploding in the next thirty seconds because of them being together, he wasn't going to give Kouichi up for anything. If the world itself were going to explode in the next thirty seconds, then he'd enjoy those seconds with his brother anyway.

Kouichi stood beside him, every bit as determined. Anyone who knew anything about human features would've quite probably been surprised at how much alike they looked, even for a set of twins, in this moment. Kouji's hair was longer and Kouichi a trifle less muscular, but aside from that, they were mirror images of one another, united in their stubborn insistence on staying together.

Mole made a noise that sounded far too much like a squeak to really have come from something as large and heavy as it was. Kouji would've said that it cowered behind its own hands, if he'd believed that even possible.

"Okay, okay!" The Trailmon started to inch along the tracks. "I understand! But you really should listen to her. She knows what's good for the Digital World. But if you don't want to go, I can't make you."

"Can you tell us how to get to the Forest Terminal?" Kouji was determined to get at least a little something out of this.

Mole indicated the mountains with a jerk of a great metallic head. "You can try over there. I'm not really sure myself where it is, but that's the closest place I know that has anyone who might. I'm going now."

Suiting actions to words, Mole chugged along, heading out of sight as quickly as possible. The twins watched in silence, until only the three of them stood together there.

"I wonder why she wanted to send me home," Kouichi said, breaking the silence. He didn't look at Kouji as he spoke. "Was it just because I wasn't supposed to come at all?"

"I don't know. And I don't care." Kouji's hands clenched into fists. "Come on. Let's see how much closer we can get to those mountains before it's too dark."

Kouichi nodded, starting along only a breath behind his brother. Pipimon said nothing at all, but just kept looking at the two of them, worry plain in his eyes.

* * *

Mole rushed along, picking up the best speed that he could, wanting to get away from those two humans as quickly as possible. He'd _tried_ to do as Ophanimon-sama wanted! There were few Trailmon who would ever not try to listen to her or Seraphimon-sama – or Cherubimon-sama, all truth to be told. The three Great Angels didn't rule as they once had, but they were respected, nevertheless.

He didn't know how far he'd made it before he once again pulled to a stop. Four figures stood across the tracks, staring him down.

_Today is not my day._

One of them stepped forward, mirrors gleaming in the last light of the day. "We have a few questions to ask you, Mole Trailmon."

"And you're going to answer them, aren't you?" Her voice rang far too sweet. Mole shuddered all over and nodded.

"Good." The first nodded his approval. "Now, have you seen any human children in the area?"

**To Be Continued**


	12. Battle Begins

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing involved in this story unless I invented it myself. This is written for fun, not for profit. All forms of feedback eagerly accepted. Concrit is loved the most, but everything is welcome.  
**Fandom:** Digimon Frontier  
**Title:** Eyes of Light: Chapter 12: Battle Begins  
**Character:** Minamoto Kouji, Kimura Kouichi  
**Word Count:** chapter: 2,049||story: 26,219  
**Genre:** Adventure, Friendship||**Rated:** PG-13  
**Challenge:** Diversity Challenge, section L, #13: a multichap that is a series or season rewrite; Random Character Is Your Hero Challenge; &amp; what-If: What if the twins' mother died before Kouichi met Kouji? &amp; What if Kouji was the one searching for Kouichi?  
**Notes:** I don't know if this will have Kouji x Kouichi in it yet or not. The story will tell me in due time. This is going to be a rewrite of Digimon Frontier and it will _mostly_ follow the course of canon, but through Kouji's eyes. Some events will turn out differently, for various reasons, ranging from the type of what-ifs I chose as the basis for this to something I think should've happened differently.  
**Summary:** Kouji didn't expect a lot of things. He didn't expect to find out his mother had died. Or that he had a twin brother. Or that he was being called to a new world to fight in a war. Or that said twin brother would get on the train with him. And that was just the beginning.

* * *

Kouji woke in darkness, coming to his feet in a single movement that included seizing his D-Scan and looking around, trying to find out what had woken him up. He wasn't a deep sleeper by any means, though since coming to the Digital World, that had changed. Though he hadn't slept _often_ here yet, when he did it was a cross between the most restful sleep he'd ever had and being aware at all times of what was going on, in case he needed to wake and fight.

He had his own suspicions on what caused both changes, but there wasn't really anyone he could ask about it, so he just let it ride, and made himself as comfortable with it as he could.

At this moment, Wolfmon's instincts prickled all over his body. The Spirit wasn't a separate being from himself, but even when not transformed, Kouji found he had something more going for him than just the occasional mental dictionary. Senses that rode a trifle higher than what he was used to, instincts that told him when to fight and when to run…

And now was most definitely a time to fight. Or would be soon, he thought. When he knew where his enemy was.

From the shadows around there came a sudden high-pitched laugh. He thought it sounded kind of like a woman, but in the Digital World, he knew better than to jump to conclusions.

"He's kind of cute. Not as much as I am, though," a voice spoke, one that sounded much like the laugh had. "But that's not a surprise, is it?"

"We're not here for that," a deeper, more gravelly voice answered her. If the earth itself could've been said to speak, it might've sounded a little like this, Kouji thought. But not quite much. Regardless, his ears heard it and his mind tagged it with 'earth'.

Or perhaps not his _mind_.

"Oh, I know, I know!" The female voice pouted. "Let's get what we did come here for and go."

Kouji reached to where he knew Kouichi slept and nudged him. "We've got trouble," he muttered, aware in that moment of his twin's eyes opening at once.

Kouichi stood beside him a breath later, as awake as he was, and stared into the darkness surrounding them. They'd laid down to rest hours earlier, and now it looked as if the moons had set. The starlight left behind wasn't much for them to see by, and even Kouji's improved senses couldn't make as much sense of what he saw as he would've liked.

"There," Kouichi murmured, indicating a patch of shadows to the left. "That's where they are."

How could Kouichi see that? Kouji filed that under 'questions to ask at a later time' and steeled himself. "Who are you and what do you want?"

"We serve Cherubimon-sama," a third voice that had not spoken before now joined in. The harder Kouji stared, the more he thought he could make out shapes in that area.

Kouji shifted forward a step or two. That wasn't a name he liked hearing, no matter how little of it he actually knew. What he'd heard wasn't good in the slightest.

"That's great. Now tell me what you want." He had no intentions of giving it to them at all. But a few extra moments for them to answer could mean extra moments for Kouichi and Pipimon to get out of there while he fought them off.

_I'm outnumbered._ He knew that. There were at least three, and he'd always been good at math. But he didn't care.

"Him." A movement that he guessed was someone pointing. He thought he was right, since Kouichi stepped back, eyes going wide in confusion.

"Me? What would you want me for?"

Kouji didn't care. Three or three thousand, they'd just crossed a line they likely hadn't known was there, and he cared about their knowing even less.

"I don't care what they want you for, they're not going to get you. Get back."

Kouji didn't wait to see if Kouichi listened. Instead, he started to pull his hand up, ready to transform in a single moment.

"Spirit -" He got no further than that before two other words cracked through the night air.

"Rain Stream!" A tidal wave of water – and where the blazes had that come from, they weren't anywhere near so much as a river, much less an ocean! - blasted through, knocking him off his feet and slamming him into a tree he'd forgotten was even there.

"Kouji!" Kouichi darted forward, dodging around things that moved almost too fast for the eye to see. Kouji rubbed his head, trying to parse what he was actually seeing, and not certain if it was because of just having slammed his head into a tree or because long tree branches really _were_ trying to grab onto his brother.

_Right. Evolve. Kick them out now, figure out what I'm seeing later._ He closed his hand, realizing a heartbeat later that his D-Scan wasn't in it. _What?_

Kouichi dropped down flat and wriggled closer, Pipimon bouncing alongside of him, both of them as terrified as Kouji had ever seen either of them.

"Are you all right?" Kouichi whispered as soon as he was close enough to do so.

"I'm fine." Kouji's eyes darted everywhere, trying to find the D-Scan. Without it, they were in much more trouble than he thought they could get out of on their own. "Have you seen my -"

That laugh sounded again, twisted and cruel and cold. "Are you talking about this, little boy?"

Both twins turned toward it, and now Kouji could see who stood against them much more clearly. He kind of wished that he hadn't.

Three of them did indeed stand there. One was somewhat squat and nut-brown, leaning against a large hammer as he stared at them. The second stood tallest of the three, a shimmering, glimmering collection of mirrors that gleamed in starlight. The smile on the mirror that passed for his face sent chills down Kouji's spine.

The third was the one who laughed, and in her hand she held something small and almost impossible to see in the shadows. But Kouji didn't need to see it to know what it was. Not with that smirk on her face.

"That's mine!" He lunged to his feet and raced forward, not caring that she could likely kill him with a flick of one finger. What she had belonged to him and he wasn't going to let anyone take it from him.

_They want Kouichi. If she has my D-Scan, I can't evolve, and if I can't evolve, then I can't protect Kouichi._ The reasoning flashed through his mind in a matter of instants. He dodged whipping branches and leaped over vines that sought to wrap around him, his one target the one who held his D-Scan.

He'd only just reached her when with a flick of one hand, she raised up a wave of water and knocked him away. He shook his head in an attempt to clear it and scrambled back to his feet.

"Who are you?" He wanted names this time, names he could snarl and snap at. Even with the D-Scan in her hands, he could feel Wolfmon's rising presence, a connection that could not be easily severed having been forged between them.

"I suppose we _should_ introduce ourselves," the one of mirrors spoke. He waved toward the smallest one.

"Grottomon, Warrior of Earth!" That one declared, waving his mallet at Kouji. In the same breath, he vanished into the ground beneath him. Kouji had only a moment to realize what was going on before Grottomon reappeared behind him, swinging his mallet with all of his considerable strength.

"Kouji!" Kouichi's voice echoed off the surrounding rocks and trees as Kouji flew through the air, his body slamming against an outcropping. "If you hurt him -"

Kouji barely could grasp that Kouichi had said anything at all. He could hear the words, but the sense of it really just could not penetrate him. After all, he _was_ hurt. Every bone in his body shook and rang, and when he could crank his eyes open, he saw two of Kouichi and that wasn't right at all. There should only be one Kouichi. One Kouichi and one Kouji and that was it.

There were also two Pipimon, and two of the others, and that really wasn't right, because if there were two of them, then that meant six enemies and Kouji could handle being outnumbered but six was stacking the deck just a little.

He groaned. He wasn't sure if it was because of how much he hurt or not, but Kouichi stumbled toward him, reaching for him.

And despite how much Kouji saw too much of everything, he saw something his brother didn't: hands reaching for him.

Kouji wasn't evolved. The mass of pain in his side told some part of him that he would _feel_ that in the morning. Scratch that, he was feeling it right now, and he didn't like it.

That didn't stop him from lurching to his feet and knocking Kouichi out of the way of those reaching hands. One of those hands knocked him aside again, and this time he managed to curl himself up just enough so that he didn't break anything. From the way his ribs ached and throbbed, he didn't think he'd succeeded in that before. But that wasn't something he thought it was time to dwell on. He'd fret about it once he'd beaten all of his enemies and he and Kouichi and Pipimon were as far away from here as he could get them.

She laughed again. She might've been laughing all along, but he had too much to do to pay that much attention to her. He dragged himself up, pain shooting up his left leg, more pain grinding in his right shoulder, and he couldn't straighten one of his fingers all the way. Standing was much more difficult than he remembered it being but he did it anyway.

Two things called for his attention right now: the fact that this woman of water had his D-Scan and that he wasn't sure where Kouichi was. That last fact was more because he couldn't see straight than anything else.

"That was a really good introduction, Grottomon," she laughed, tossing his D-Scan up and down in one hand. "And this is just such a _fun_ night! We get to take that guy back to Cherubimon-sama and we can take this guy's Spirits, too!" She rested one finger against her lips. "Think Cherubimon-sama would want him too?"

Kouji didn't care. He didn't even bother to listen to her for more than a few seconds. Instead, he started toward her again, trying to be more careful this time. He could tell she wielded water, and water hitting someone at the speed she could make it happen hurt as much or more as that mallet hitting him had.

"We can take him and find out," the mirror man said, examining Kouji as one might eye a two-for-one deal that seemed a little too good to be true. "And if he doesn't, then you can have a toy to play with, Ranamon."

"Neither one of us are toys," Kouichi said, and when had he turned up next to Kouji, Pipimon on his shoulder, and both of them glaring at the enemy as if they could burn them alive with the sheer force of their eyes alone.

Kouji kind of wished they could. It would make this fight that much easier.

Kouichi wasn't finished, either. "Now, give that back to him, and get out of here! I'm not going with you and neither is Kouji."

"You don't get a say in the matter, my boy," the man of mirrors said. "Cherubimon-sama wants you and that is all that you need to know. So if you know what's good for both of you, just surrender and we can leave."

Kouji shook his head, pulling himself up as much as he could. He ignored the pain. He'd pay for it before this was over, but he didn't care. Protecting Kouichi was far more important than how he felt.

"No."

**To Be Continued**


	13. Battle Ended

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing involved in this story unless I invented it myself. This is written for fun, not for profit. All forms of feedback eagerly accepted. Concrit is loved the most, but everything is welcome.  
**Fandom:** Digimon Frontier  
**Title:** Eyes of Light: Chapter 13: Battle Ended  
**Character:** Minamoto Kouji, Kimura Kouichi  
**Word Count:** chapter: 2,191||story: 28,410  
**Genre:** Adventure, Friendship||**Rated:** PG-13  
**Challenge:** Diversity Challenge, section L, #13: a multichap that is a series or season rewrite; Random Character Is Your Hero Challenge; &amp; what-If: What if the twins' mother died before Kouichi met Kouji? &amp; What if Kouji was the one searching for Kouichi?  
**Notes:** I don't know if this will have Kouji x Kouichi in it yet or not. The story will tell me in due time. This is going to be a rewrite of Digimon Frontier and it will _mostly_ follow the course of canon, but through Kouji's eyes. Some events will turn out differently, for various reasons, ranging from the type of what-ifs I chose as the basis for this to something I think should've happened differently.  
**Summary:** Kouji didn't expect a lot of things. He didn't expect to find out his mother had died. Or that he had a twin brother. Or that he was being called to a new world to fight in a war. Or that said twin brother would get on the train with him. And that was just the beginning.

* * *

Mercuremon could not have been any happier at the moment. Not only were they going to please Cherubimon-sama by returning with the human that he wanted, but they would bring a second one along as well, one who held the Spirit of Light. That could only bode well for the master's plans. Mercuremon knew that their lord kept the Spirits of Darkness, though they hadn't yet found a suitable owner. He'd seen the results from those who'd tried to take them on. It hadn't been pretty.

_Does he want this human for that?_ It didn't seem as if a human could do what a Digimon couldn't, but _that_ one did wield the ones of Light. It was likely worth a try. And if he didn't, well, then that was one more failure to add to the pile. It wasn't as if he and the others – mostly he – weren't doing a good enough job as it was.

There were other humans who held Spirits; the rumors already raced across the Digital World of them. Mercuremon didn't find them very intimidating. Children, little more than human hatchlings, being a true threat? Not at all. Not even close.

_We'll need to take their Spirits from them. Hatchlings shouldn't play with dangerous toys._ He smiled at the thought. Likely once they'd brought their captives to him, Cherubimon-sama would order them to do just that. If only they'd all been together. Then he could've brought them all and ended this farce in one fell swoop.

Ah, well. A chase was good for the blood. It could also help Ranamon gain more control over her powers. She could always use that.

The Spirit-bearing human kept himself in between them and his brother. Mercuremon wondered if he knew that it didn't make a difference. Whether the humans could see him or not, Arbormon nestled in the trees, watching them and making certain they didn't get too far. Whenever one of them tried, the branches and leaves pulled closer, waving warily at some points, darting toward them at others.

The children were being herded and they didn't even realize it. Mercuremon smiled again at the thought. A chase was good for the blood, but he liked seeing the end of one just as much.

"Surrendering is your only option," he said, attention moving ever so slightly between the two. "You can't evolve without that," Mercuremon tossed his head in the direction of Ranamon and the device she held, "and you can't evolve at all." Now he turned his look on Cherubimon-sama's target. "What do you think you can do?"

His lips thinned a bit as he eyed the Warrior of Light once again. "We've already nearly defeated you anyway. Why do you want to push it any farther?"

"Nearly doesn't mean I _am_ beaten," the human growled, still in between his brother and the Warriors. "And as long as I'm breathing, I'm going to fight!"

Ranamon laughed, a sparkling sprinkle of a sound that always scraped against Mercuremon's nerves. "Guess we're just going to have to stop you from breathing, then. That's fine with me!" She pointed one free hand to the sky and clouds gathered at the tip of her fingers. "Rain Stream!"

This time their opponents weren't taken quite so much by surprise. Mercuremon slightly approved; enemies who didn't learn from their mistakes were stupid enemies, and he didn't want such atrocities facing him. He wanted an intelligent foe, one that could put up a good fight, so he could be that much prouder later of how he'd defeated his enemy. It didn't do much good to boast of one's prowess at defeating someone who hadn't put up a good fight.

Cherubimon-sama's target wrapped his arms around a tree that had survived Ranamon's first attack, clinging for dear life, his eyes wide and his hair soaked to his scalp. He jerked his head rapidly around, trying to find his twin. "Kouji! Kouji, where are you?"

That was a good question. The human bearing Light wasn't in quite the shape for dodging attacks at the moment. But Mercuremon found him a few seconds later, curled up behind a large boulder. It was an unusual choice of defense, but the Warrior of Steel supposed that he had little choice at the moment.

"As I told you, your only option is to surrender. It will mean less pain for you both in the end." Mercuremon shook his head. Was this really what all human children were like? Too stubborn for their own good? "There's nothing that either of you can do to stop us from taking what we want. You _know_ that."

Kouji pulled himself up over his defensive rock. "I don't know any such thing. I know that I'm going to take back what's mine and we're not going anywhere with you."

Ranamon tossed his device between her hands. "What makes you think I'm going to give this back?"

"Me!" The small voice came from neither of the humans, but from slightly above. All of Cherubimon's warriors looked around, but none expected the small creature that landed right on Ranamon's head and knocked the D-Scan out of her hands a heartbeat later. "Hold on, Kouji!"

Mercuremon did not have the best night vision, but he recalled that there had been reports of a Pipimon traveling with the children. He'd dismissed it as unimportant; Pipimon had no known evolutions and even if one had, it would only take the creature from barely a hatchling to possibly a Child-level at the very best. Nothing that the four of them needed to concern themselves with.

And now that small, insignificant, not to be worried with Digimon bounced off Ranamon's head and scooped up the D-Scan in its mouth, bouncing toward the waiting human with all due speed.

"Stop it!" Ranamon stomped her feet, eyes burning bright scarlet. "Stop it! Mercuremon, Grottomon! Arbormon! Stop that thing!"

Mercuremon waved one hand at her to indicate not to mention Arbormon again; he was their secret ace, the hidden one that would ensure the eventual capture of the children. Ranamon ignored the motion, ranting and raving at the top of her lungs. None of what she said was all that interesting, more repeats of her original statement to return the D-Scan to her.

No one on the battlefield paid attention to her. Pipimon threw himself over the ground, rolling top over bottom until slamming into the same rock Kouji crouched behind. Kouji scooped him up in one arm and took the D-Scan with the other.

"Thanks, Pipimon," he said before turning to where Kouichi stumbled over, still somewhat out of breath from having been hit with Ranamon's Rain Stream. "You two keep out of this, and watch your backs."

Mercuremon almost wished he had lips of a shape he could lick at the moment. This promised to be a very interesting fight and he wanted to savor every moment of it.

It would be much more satisfying if Ranamon would quit her ranting and do something useful at the moment as well, but one couldn't have everything. She'd settle down once the battle actually started. Or so he hoped.

The human didn't waste another breath, but evolved without even waiting for his brother and their friend to get out of the way. Mercuremon slightly nodded toward Arbormon; the Warrior of Wood wasn't a genius by any stretch of the imagination – he was the only one who could claim _that_ distinction among the Warriors – but he could take directions very well indeed.

This Kouji might put up a good fight, but he'd clearly forgotten that he was outnumbered and Mercuremon didn't play by human rights of 'fighting fairly'. Not when they had a goal given to them by Cherubimon-sama.

It had also been a long time since he'd seen Wolfmon. Or since the Spirits of Steel had seen him. Sometimes even Mercuremon wasn't certain how much to consider the Spirits a part of him and how much not to.

"Do you really think you can beat us, child?" For all that he had Wolfmon's power, this _still_ was a child, a small human child who hadn't even been in their world for more than a handful of days.

The answer was a gleaming sword of light being driven directly toward Mercuremon. The Warrior of Steel dodged out of the way; he had little doubts that he could win this fight, but why deprive everyone else of their chance to battle Wolfmon? It had really been _so_ long.

Ranamon swirled up another dark cloud, this one a little different from her Rain Stream. "Jealousy Rain!" She blasted it toward Wolfmon, who managed to move out of the way himself only by a hair's breadth. "How dare you! Stand still and let me beat you!"

"If you think I'm actually going to do that, you've got a lot to learn," Wolfmon replied, charging toward her. His movements weren't as crisp and sharp as Mercuremon would've expected, but that he attributed to the injuries the human had taken before evolving. The change didn't always fix everything that was wrong with one beforehand. Mercuremon hadn't evolved from his original form to this one enough to know all the details, nor did he plan to.

A soft gasp came from the shadows and Mercuremon flicked his gaze there just enough to confirm what he knew. He made no other moves, though, watching as Wolfmon darted and dodged in between Ranamon and Grottomon, who were taking turns now to lash back at him with whips of water and strikes from the mallet. Wolfmon couldn't dodge all of those and with two of them slicing at him, he didn't have enough time to launch any real attacks of his own.

Mercuremon kept his distance; he had no qualms at all against going three on one, but he wanted to choose his moment. He knew he was the superior fighter out of all of them here, but swords had a nasty habit of cracking mirrors and he wasn't going to take that sort of chance. Not to mention that reversing the attack of a swordblade, even one like Wolfmon's, wasn't nearly as easy as reversing other types of attacks. Yes. He would have to choose when he attacked and how with care.

Wolfmon stood in between Ranamon and Grottomon, panting ever so slightly. "When are you going to realize that I'm not going to let you take Kouichi?"

"When are you going to realize that we aren't asking your permission to do what we want to do?" Ranamon snapped. "We're just having fun now!"

"You need to rethink how you have fun." Wolfmon tensed as Grottomon sank down into the ground and came up almost on top of him, mallet raised and ready. He wasn't taken by surprise as much as he had been earlier and rolled away, the mallet coming down instead on Ranamon, knocking her back.

"Hey!" The Warrior of Water shook her head, knocking dust and dirt off herself. "Watch where you're hitting that thing! You're on my side, remember?"

Mercuremon took another quick glance to the side. It was time. Wolfmon's leap put him on top of a pile of rocks, a little out of range for Ranamon's attack, though a bit more in for Grottomon to slide up there any time he chose. That wasn't what Mercuremon wanted, though. Grottomon could have his fun another time.

_It's nearly dawn. Time to end this._ They'd struck when he felt the children would be at their weakest, and so far that theory seemed to have held out.

"Ranamon. Now."

"Huh?" She blinked at him for a moment, then her eyes rounded with realization. "Oh! I got it!" She steadied herself before lashing one of her strongest Rain Streams right at Mercuremon. He raised one of his mirrors, sucked all of the energy of the attack into himself, then tilted the opposing mirror and released it upward, blasting into Wolfmon so hard that he slammed into the ground and stayed there, only the slight movement of his chest showing that he was breathing at all.

Grottomon dug up from a few steps away from Wolfmon and rested his mallet against the armored Digimon's neck. "Better not move," he growled. "You won't like what I do next if you do."

Mercuremon strolled a bit away, closer to the shadows cast by the trees all around. "Not only that, but if you don't stop fighting, I'm going to have to do something very unfortunate to your brother." He reached into the trees and pulled out Kouichi, wrapped firmly in thick branches and with a vine shoved between his lips to keep him quiet. Kouichi struggled harder, giving glares that by rights should've caused damage all on their own. Mercuremon shook him a little. "And you'd best calm down yourself, before Grottomon does something even _more_ unfortunate to _your_ brother."

Just as he'd expected. Both of them calmed down at once, though the hate in their eyes didn't change a bit. That didn't bother Mercuremon. He enjoyed being hated.

"Now, it's time to go see Cherubimon-sama."

**To Be Continued**


	14. Prisoner's Problems

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing involved in this story unless I invented it myself. This is written for fun, not for profit. All forms of feedback eagerly accepted. Concrit is loved the most, but everything is welcome.  
**Fandom:** Digimon Frontier  
**Title:** Eyes of Light: Chapter 14: Prisoner's Problems  
**Character:** Minamoto Kouji, Kimura Kouichi  
**Word Count:** chapter: 2,227||story: 30,637  
**Genre:** Adventure, Friendship||**Rated:** PG-13  
**Challenge:** Diversity Challenge, section L, #13: a multichap that is a series or season rewrite; Random Character Is Your Hero Challenge; &amp; what-If: What if the twins' mother died before Kouichi met Kouji? &amp; What if Kouji was the one searching for Kouichi?  
**Notes:** I don't know if this will have Kouji x Kouichi in it yet or not. The story will tell me in due time. This is going to be a rewrite of Digimon Frontier and it will _mostly_ follow the course of canon, but through Kouji's eyes. Some events will turn out differently, for various reasons, ranging from the type of what-ifs I chose as the basis for this to something I think should've happened differently.  
**Summary:** Kouji didn't expect a lot of things. He didn't expect to find out his mother had died. Or that he had a twin brother. Or that he was being called to a new world to fight in a war. Or that said twin brother would get on the train with him. And that was just the beginning.

* * *

Kouichi wanted a Spirit. He wanted one so much that he didn't care what it would be a Spirit _of_, so long as he would be able to fight back against these evil warriors who kept throwing Kouji around like he was little more than a rag doll. He'd _seen_ how good his brother was at fighting, and seeing him battered and bruised like this wasn't right at all.

Part of him knew logically that it was ridiculous to think that Kouji could be the kind of amazing superwarrior that could defeat outrageous odds with little more than a cocky smile and a wave of one hand. Part of him didn't care about logic and wanted to see Kouji stomp all of them into the dirt so they could continue on their journey.

A third part of him wanted a Spirit so that he could help with the stomping and not be like he was now: wrapped up in thick branches, a vine stuck in his mouth to gag him, and being used to stop Kouji from fighting at all. He tried to wriggle a little more, only stopping when the branches tightened on him.

"Not a good idea," a deep voice spoke from not too far from him. He peered that way; he'd always had good night vision and since coming here it seemed just a bit sharper. So he didn't have to struggle too hard to see a shape in the shadows. This one seemed a little shorter than the others, and while he wasn't made of metal like the guy with all the mirrors, he did seem to have some kind of armor on. "You don't want to get hurt."

Kouichi knew that much was right. But he also didn't want Kouji to get hurt, and that meant a lot more to him.

The mirror warrior, the one currently holding onto Kouichi, gave them both a very speculative look before turning his attention back to Wolfmon. "Go back to being human and hand your little toy over to Ranamon."

Kouichi noticed the ripple along the armored jaw. Kouji wasn't at all happy with this. That made two of them. _We have to get out of this. But I don't know how._ He also didn't know where Pipimon was, and that worried him as much as not knowing how to escape. The last he'd seen, the small Digimon bounced into the thick of the woods after getting Kouji his D-Scan. Probably a good idea; it would be a lot smarter for him to find his way back home, or somewhere he could be safe, than to stick around here and get in trouble with these guys.

Wolfmon glowed, stripes of data surrounding him, and then Kouji lay there, as battered as before, eyes burning with hate that Kouichi could feel echoed in his own heart.

Ranamon tittered mischievously, bouncing up to stand next to him with her hand held out. Kouji breathed a couple of times, not moving, until the branches tightened around Kouichi and he gasped sharply. Then he slowly held out his hand, the D-Scan in it, and Ranamon snatched it up.

"I hope Cherubimon-sama lets me keep this!" she chirped far too cheerfully. She tossed it up and down a few times before making it vanish somewhere; she didn't wear anything but those armored metal pieces, so Kouichi had no idea of where it was. He hoped that didn't mean they'd have to search her when the time came to get the D-Scan back.

He refused to even think that such a moment might not happen. They were _going_ to get out of this and all that remained was figuring out how to do it.

* * *

Kouji tried to count all the places he hurt in and stopped when he decided it was easier to count the ones he _didn't_ hurt in. More parts of him howled and screamed with agony and pain than he'd ever imagined existed in the first place. Getting smashed around by water and hammers did nothing at all for his mood, which hadn't been the best in the first place since he woke up. His dad had teased him a few times that without enough sleep, Kouji was something of a rabid wolf.

Kouji thought that was a lot more fitting now than it had ever been. And if he could've sunk fangs into any of his enemies, he would've done so.

_Yeah, with my kind of luck, they'd probably give __**me**__ diseases._

The fourth Warrior, the one he'd missed because he'd been so busy fighting off the other three, still had Kouichi wrapped up tightly. The mirror man, Mercuremon as he'd finally introduced himself, had shoved Kouichi back to him, and taken charge of Kouji himself. That mostly meant that Kouji walked in front of him, which limited his ability to jump Ranamon and get his D-Scan back.

Kouji tried not to let it show that he kept on looking for Pipimon. The little Digimon had been very helpful once before in getting the device back where it belonged, and aside from that, Kouji wanted to at least be certain that it was all right and not unconscious under a bush or something. But no matter where he looked, he didn't see so much as a leaf off of Pipimon's head.

_That might be good. It means he's not caught too. And that he's really good at hiding._ That at least could count at something good. They needed something good.

He turned his head a little, eyes narrowed, looking at Mercuremon. "What is it that your boss wants with us anyway?"

"He wants your brother," Mercuremon corrected. "You are simply a bonus. And not one that we _need_."

Kouji rolled his eyes. As if he wanted to be wanted by some kind of insane Digimon to start with. He kept on walking, changing course now and then in accordance to how Mercuremon tugged at his shoulders. He wondered if they'd take a Trailmon to where they were going, wherever that happened to be. He also couldn't help but wonder what kind of Trailmon would willingly go anywhere these guys wanted.

Whenever he could, he checked around to see how Kouichi was holding up. The fourth warrior, Arbormon, held him easily off the ground, muttering as he did. What little Kouji could catch of that involved things to do with working out and keeping fit. That made little sense to Kouji and he satisfied himself that Kouichi wasn't any more hurt than they already were.

_Maybe I should've let him go back home?_ At least then Kouichi wouldn't be here. Some good he'd done trying to fight all of them in the first place.

No. No, he couldn't have sent Kouichi back, no matter what. This was just some kind of an obstacle, nothing more. Nothing that he couldn't handle, not once he got his hands on his D-Scan again. Somehow or other, he would get them out of this. He abandoned the whole thought of beating all four of them on his own. He knew he could fight, but he wasn't _that_ good. So he would have to be cunning and get them out of there.

At the moment he didn't have a single idea of how to be cunning. He _hurt_ too much to be anything at all. At least he hadn't broken anything, even if most of his bones insisted that he should lay down and rest for a week or two.

He tried to stretch just a little, enough to ease some of the tension in his tired limbs, and one hand brushed by his pants pocket as he did. He missed the familiar weight of his D-Scan, but something else caught his attention and he muffled a quick, startled noise.

Not muffled enough, since Mercuremon set a hand on his shoulder. "What is it, boy?"

"Nothing," Kouji replied quickly, not looking up. "I just remembered I have some berries in my pocket, that's all. I'm pretty hungry. Would it be all right if I ate them?" He hoped they were still in good enough shape. He hoped that what Pipimon said about them was true.

"Let me see them." Mercuremon's answer came after a moment of thought. Kouji carefully dug them out of his pocket and displayed them; a handful of small, battered fruit, nothing more. Kouji hoped with all of his heart that they either didn't know what these were or didn't think them dangerous.

Perhaps someone somewhere was in the mood to grant a wish, since Mercuremon gave the berries a stern, thoughtful look, glanced to both Arbormon and Grottomon, who didn't seem at all concerned about them, and gestured toward Kouji.

"Go ahead. But don't you want to share with your brother?" Mercuremon didn't wait for an answer, but only threw his head back and laughed in derision.

Kouji caught Kouichi's eye and tilted his head a little. Kouichi nodded for a breath, hardly more than a movement of his head that Kouji had to believe was deliberate and not just the result of being hauled along the way he was.

"There's not really enough for that," he replied out loud, not caring that Mercuremon didn't expect an answer in the first place. He gulped the berries down. Almost as soon as he did, he could feel some of the pain from his injuries easing off. It wasn't an instant cure and it wasn't going to fix everything, but as each moment passed, he could feel the pain lessening, and his strength grew just a little more.

It wasn't much. It wasn't even close to putting him back at the top of his form. But it eased the pain in his head, much meant he could think again, and that meant he could plan.

* * *

Kouji didn't know how long they'd been walking, only that the sun now gleamed high in the eastern sky, and aside from having healed up some of his injuries, all the benefits of those berries were gone now.

"Don't you guys have some other way to get where we're going? I mean, a Trailmon or a car or _something_?" He wanted to get this over with, if he couldn't find a way to get them out of this. He would've preferred saving them, but one step at a time.

"We have many ways to get to Cherubimon-sama," Mercuremon told him. "But not all of them are ways that _humans_ can travel safely on."

He supposed that made some kind of sense. He tried to look on the bright side, such as it was. Taking their time like this gave _him_ more time to think about what he could do.

Tackling any of them was completely out of the question. Without his D-Scan he couldn't put up enough of a fight. Something like Raremon wasn't much of a trouble. Any one of these four would smack him down and laugh about it. His ribs twinged just at the thought of what Grottomon could do to him. Once there had been enough.

He really wanted to get his D-Scan back and that meant dealing with Ranamon. She hadn't shown a hint of where his device was, so he would have to find a way to get it out of her without her telling him anything. All he could think of at the moment was just beating up on her until she handed it over, and since he couldn't do that until he had his D-Scan back in the first place, he suspected he'd have to do something else. Figuring out what that something else was, that was the hard part.

"There." Mercuremon gestured ahead of them to where a set of Trailmon tracks stretched. "This will take us to Cherubimon-sama's castle."

_Oh, lovely. Just where I never wanted to go._ Kouji rolled his eyes and kept his attention perked for any sign of his D-Scan and any clue as to Pipimon's whereabouts. He didn't know which he wanted the most.

Nor was he at all certain of what to think when he saw a tiny green head peeking around a low-growing bush, ducking back out of sight the moment that Pipimon realized Kouji saw him.

_He better not be planning anything._ Yes, the little guy had been useful before, but this situation was a lot harder now. They didn't have the concealment of the night, and their enemies had Kouichi firmly wrapped up.

But that didn't mean he wasn't glad to see him and if somehow or other, Pipimon could pull off saving them, then Kouji would be the first one to thank him for it.

"So how long are we going to have to wait for this Trailmon? I need a good hot bath. All this fighting just wore me out!" Ranamon declared as she examined the tips of her nails. "Why isn't it here right now, anyway?"

"Trailmon go at their own pace," Mercuremon replied, a hint of long-suffering patience in his tone. "But it will be here before noon." He gestured toward the covered bench. "Put the humans there. They can't get away from here."

Suiting actions to words, he shoved Kouji that way as Arbormon dropped Kouichi there. The twins leaned against one another, both silent for different reasons, and rested while they could.

**To Be Continued**


	15. A Cunning Plan

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing involved in this story unless I invented it myself. This is written for fun, not for profit. All forms of feedback eagerly accepted. Concrit is loved the most, but everything is welcome.  
**Fandom:** Digimon Frontier  
**Title:** Eyes of Light: Chapter 15: A Cunning Plan  
**Character:** Minamoto Kouji, Kimura Kouichi  
**Word Count:** chapter: 2,261||story: 32,898  
**Genre:** Adventure, Friendship||**Rated:** PG-13  
**Challenge:** Diversity Challenge, section L, #13: a multichap that is a series or season rewrite; Random Character Is Your Hero Challenge; &amp; what-If: What if the twins' mother died before Kouichi met Kouji? &amp; What if Kouji was the one searching for Kouichi?  
**Notes:** I don't know if this will have Kouji x Kouichi in it yet or not. The story will tell me in due time. This is going to be a rewrite of Digimon Frontier and it will _mostly_ follow the course of canon, but through Kouji's eyes. Some events will turn out differently, for various reasons, ranging from the type of what-ifs I chose as the basis for this to something I think should've happened differently.  
**Summary:** Kouji didn't expect a lot of things. He didn't expect to find out his mother had died. Or that he had a twin brother. Or that he was being called to a new world to fight in a war. Or that said twin brother would get on the train with him. And that was just the beginning.

* * *

Pipimon peeked back up, hoping he was right and his little bit of cover would keep the bad Digimon from finding him. He knew that Kouji and Kouichi had seen him. Or at least Kouji had, and he trusted that Kouji wouldn't tell on him. Maybe if they threatened Kouichi again, but so long as the humans were going along with them, that didn't seem too likely.

The tiny Digimon cuddled back down underneath the bush he'd adopted as a temporary home, at least until he could make his way over to that large rock near the covered waiting station. He had to find some way to help them. The best way would be to get them both out of there. Fighting wasn't going to help. They'd fought before and all it did was get Kouji almost too beaten up to move and Kouichi caught, which put an end to the fighting anyway.

So, getting out of there was the answer. It did raise up a question about how far they could run and where they could hide before Cherubimon's warriors found them again, but maybe they could find help.

_Those __**other**__ warriors. The nice ones who are humans too. I wonder if they could help._ Pipimon thought it wouldn't hurt to find out. If they couldn't, then they wouldn't be any worse off than they were now.

He peeked up again. So far as he could tell, the two humans had drifted off into a sort of doze. That didn't surprise him either. They'd been pushed really hard. He thought he'd seen Kouji eating some of the berries, which would definitely help, and he really didn't seem as battered as he'd been earlier. That could help. It _had_ to help.

Pipimon did what he could to keep his fidgeting down as much as possible. The last thing he wanted was for any of those warriors he didn't like to see him there. Any one of them could squash him without even thinking about it, and probably would.

Which meant that he had to think of a way to help his friends and do it without being caught or seen or anything. And he really didn't know how to do that.

Under no circumstances did that mean he was going to give up, though. He'd made it to a Trailmon! He'd eaten at Soft Breeze Village! He'd made friends with humans! He could do _anything_ if he put his mind to it!

So Pipimon snuggled himself down a little more and put his brain to work, trying to come up with some answers.

* * *

Kouji kept his eyes closed and his ears open. He wasn't sure what, if anything, Pipimon had in mind, but he wasn't going to leave it all up to the little guy. They couldn't exactly co ordinate their efforts with him, unfortunately.

"Kouji?" Kouichi murmured. At least Kouji thought that was what he was saying. The gag remained around his mouth so all his twin could do was make a noise that somewhat sounded like his name.

Kouji rolled his head around to see if there was anything he could do to help his twin get rid of that gag. He probably could; he still had his own hands free.

The problem with doing that was that they weren't just thrown down and their captors ignored them. Mercuremon set Arbormon and Grottomon to watching for the train while he and Ranamon stood not that far away. Ranamon didn't let a single moment go by without complaining about how she wanted to go back to their base and she was tired of having to watch a pair of kids and for the life of him Kouji couldn't help but compare her to a babysitter that he'd had when he was five, who probably should've had any other summer job but babysitting in the first place.

Kouji shifted himself a little more, watching Mercuremon and Ranamon as he did. Neither one of them said anything about it, though he could tell Mercuremon saw him doing so. The Warrior of Steel didn't take his eyes off of him. Kouji set his jaw and looked at Kouichi again.

"You all right over there?" It wasn't the smartest question ever but trying to come up with a plan when their enemies hadn't left them alone for so much as a second wasn't easy. It bordered on the impossible. Whatever they had to do would have to be quick and would have a lot of holes in it, simply because they had no time to talk it over. Kouji didn't like that. Everything he'd ever learned about fighting told him not to make plans like that at all.

Kouichi nodded a little, and Kouji thought he was trying to smile. Some of the muscles on his face moved up a bit anyway.

Kouji leaned his head against Kouichi's shoulder and closed his eyes. He hadn't realized how exhausted he was until they actually stopped moving. _Maybe I can persuade them to give me back my D-Scan so I can keep on moving?_ He thought he'd be a little stronger if he evolved. But as plans went, he thought he could do better.

"Kouji! Kouji!" That was Pipimon's voice. Kouji kept himself from jerking around, but it wasn't easy. He thought Kouichi heard it too, if the way the other shifted some meant something more than just being tired. "I'm gonna see if I can get your Spirit back for you! Just stay there!"

Like he could do anything else. Kouji would've told Pipimon not to try it, but making any kind of move would only end up bringing Mercuremon's wrath down on them. The best thing that they could do for now was to stay quiet and make certain that neither Mercuremon nor Ranamon had any idea of what was about to happen.

Which was really not that difficult to do, because Kouji didn't have any idea of what _was_ about to happen.

* * *

Something small rapped against Ranamon's armor. She glanced around, interrupted in the middle of one of her favorite rants. "What was that?"

Mercuremon tilted his head toward her. "What?"

"Something hit me." Ranamon took a step back. She wasn't standing under any trees, so it couldn't have been something like a nut falling, and who would dare to throw rocks at her?

She shot a sudden look toward the two humans. If anyone would dare to do that, then they were her top candidates.

Neither of them moved, though. The Warrior of Light lifted his head a bit when he saw her looking at them, looking more confused than he did anything else. Ranamon glared harder; stupid humans, not at all useful when they actually _should_ be.

More somethings, whatever they were, rattled off her armor and she looked down just in time to see a few extra stones that she knew hadn't been there before scattered around her feet.

"Someone _is_ throwing rocks at me!"

"Really." Mercuremon gave her a steady look. She snatched one of them up and shook it at him.

"This wasn't here a second ago! Do I have to throw it at you for you to believe me? There's someone _throwing rocks at me_!"

She wished they were closer to water. If they were, she could dive in and not only be a lot cooler than she was now, but whoever was throwing this at her would have to come close to the water to do it, and then she'd know who they were.

Mercuremon moved closer to her, looking around as he did. "It's likely some Digimon thinking that he can play games."

"Well, I don't like their games!" She threw more annoyed looks around. There weren't that many places for someone to hide, at least not if they were a decent size. So why couldn't she find them?

Wait… "What happened to that little Digimon that was with them?" Ranamon gestured to the humans. "Did it just run away or what?"

Mercuremon drummed his fingers on the side of his arm. "I wasn't looking for it. I was somewhat more occupied with acquiring what Cherubimon-sama wants."

Another rock flew, only this time it struck one of Mercuremon's legs. He frowned down at it before looking around. "But perhaps we _should_ check into this."

Ranamon glowered at him. "Oh, _now_ you think we should, because they hit _you_? What, it's not enough that they're trying to tarnish _my_ good looks?"

"No, it isn't."

Ranamon made a point to ignore the snorts coming from the humans. They didn't understand her glory any more than Mercuremon did.

She took another step, eyes skimming everywhere for any sign of that little Digimon. She hadn't gotten a good look at him when they'd fought before, more was the pity. She already didn't like him just because he hung out with these humans, and it was worse because he'd stolen the device that she'd taken away fair and square once already.

Was that was this was about? Ranamon's eyes narrowed in thought. Well, she wasn't going to let that happen. That Spirit of Light was hers now, and she wasn't going to let anyone else take it from her. Least of all some ridiculous human and a Digimon so tiny that she could step on it and not even notice.

Just to be certain, she lifted up her foot and checked. Nope, nothing under there.

Another snort came from the humans and Ranamon gave them a very annoyed look. "Look, if you want to say something, at least make it useful. I don't have all day to stand around here looking for your little friend, so if he's here, tell him to come out and play and stop throwing rocks!"

The ungagged human rolled his eyes. "Yeah, you really think I'm going to do that?"

"Why not?" Ranamon set her hands on her hips. If these were anyone else, she would've tried to persuade them to join one of her fan clubs. But she'd never been all that interested in having humans as fans to start with. Sure, she was a Human-Type Spirit herself, but the idea of one of those weird looking things worshiping here…

_You know, that's not such a bad idea, now that I think about it._ She'd really never _considered_ it before. Maybe she could have a special human branch of her fan clubs? That wasn't such a bad idea.

Slowly she strolled closer to them, and the closer she got, the less rocks started to pelt her. She thought she heard a few hitting Mercuremon, but she didn't pay that much attention. He could look out for himself.

"You know, boys, you'll probably want to play very nice with me." She offered her very best smile and a wink, the smile that had already won so many to her side. "I can do you all kinds of favors if I'm in the mood for it."

"Ranamon." Mercuremon growled out her name. "Is this the time for your games?"

She ignored him. If she could get them to tell her where their little buddy was, then she could stomp all over the annoying thing and then they could go to Cherubimon-sama, and she'd get all kinds of extra points for her actions.

And it made having to guard them a little more interesting anyway.

"Well, boys? Tell your friend to come out from hiding and then we can _all_ have fun together." She batted her eyes again. She thought the humans were kind of young, but she accepted praise and adulation from anyone.

Except maybe Numemon. She'd never really liked them.

"I can't do it," the one without the gag said, shaking his head. "He really only listens to Kouichi." He jerked his head toward the other one. "And he can't really talk right now, you know."

That was true. But if it meant she would get rid of the pest that threw things at her, then she knew what to do. "I can fix that!"

"Ranamon, don't!" Mercuremon's order fell on deaf ears as Ranamon pulled the bindings away from the human. In retrospect, she guessed she didn't have to take them all off, but what could a couple of humans do against them, especially since one of them couldn't evolve anymore?

A wild, angry cry that was probably meant to terrify someone and really only made Ranamon confused echoed all around. From behind the shelter came a small pudgy green thing that knocked right into her chest, sending her stumbling back a pace or two. But what really annoyed her was what came after that: both of the humans slamming fists into her with a great deal more strength than she would've given them for their size.

"Ranamon..." Mercuremon audibly sighed and shook his head.

Ranamon barely had time to recover before the humans pounced her again, this time sending her backwards, their combined weight bringing her down to the ground.

"Hey!" Ranamon flailed, trying to get her feet back under her and to concentrate enough to call forth either Jealousy Rain or Rain Stream. Either one would be enough to put these humans in her place. "What do you think you're doing?"

"Taking back what's mine!" The human who carried the Spirit of Light now sat up and Ranamon had _no idea_ of how he'd done it, but the D-Scan rested once more in his hand. "Kouichi, get Pipimon and get moving out of here."

Data swirled around his other hand. "Spirit Evolution!"

**To Be Continued**


	16. Last Fight

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing involved in this story unless I invented it myself. This is written for fun, not for profit. All forms of feedback eagerly accepted. Concrit is loved the most, but everything is welcome.  
**Fandom:** Digimon Frontier  
**Title:** Eyes of Light: Chapter 16: Last Fight  
**Character:** Minamoto Kouji, Kimura Kouichi  
**Word Count:** chapter: 2,132||story: 35,030  
**Genre:** Adventure, Friendship||**Rated:** PG-13  
**Challenge:** Diversity Challenge, section L, #13: a multichap that is a series or season rewrite; Random Character Is Your Hero Challenge; &amp; what-If: What if the twins' mother died before Kouichi met Kouji? &amp; What if Kouji was the one searching for Kouichi?  
**Notes:** I don't know if this will have Kouji x Kouichi in it yet or not. The story will tell me in due time. This is going to be a rewrite of Digimon Frontier and it will _mostly_ follow the course of canon, but through Kouji's eyes. Some events will turn out differently, for various reasons, ranging from the type of what-ifs I chose as the basis for this to something I think should've happened differently.  
**Summary:** Kouji didn't expect a lot of things. He didn't expect to find out his mother had died. Or that he had a twin brother. Or that he was being called to a new world to fight in a war. Or that said twin brother would get on the train with him. And that was just the beginning.

* * *

Only one thought surged through Wolfmon's mind as armor wrapped around him and a human became something else.

_Protect Kouichi._

That meant dragging all four of the enemy Warriors away from his brother, while Kouichi and Pipimon got out of there. He would join back up with them later and they could just _go somewhere_, anywhere where they couldn't be found by their enemies.

Exactly where that was he didn't know, but that would be his next decision, once they were somewhere he could rest and think. Until then, it was time to fight.

He slammed against Mercuremon with all of his strength, shoving the Warrior of Steel back several yards, and before she could do anything to move toward Kouichi, slammed against Ranamon as hard as he could. He would have to do something to thank Pipimon for his efforts in getting her annoyed enough to untie Kouichi.

Wolfmon had time enough to notice that Kouichi was indeed backing away, but not going as fast as he would've liked.

"Get moving!" He swept one armored arm in a commanding motion. "I'll find you later!"

Pipimon leaped up to land in Kouichi's arms. "He's right! We can't stay around here!"

"Be careful!" Kouichi looked more as if he wanted to stay and fight himself, but Wolfmon wasn't going to let him, not if he had to pick the boy up and take him somewhere else on his own. Kouichi did not have a Spirit. He could not join in this fight.

But it would be interesting if he could, wouldn't it? The part of Wolfmon that was _Wolfmon_, the spirit itself, found it more than interesting. If Kouji could've put it into words, and he was far too busy to even consider that really, then he would've said that Wolfmon _wanted_ to fight beside Kouichi. That fighting together was what they were meant to do.

If Kouji had paid enough attention, he would've also realized that Wolfmon thought fighting alongside _all_ of the other Spirits was what they were meant to do. But there were too many other things calling on his time at the moment.

Such as fighting _against_ those other Spirits, the ones who wanted to take his brother to Cherubimon, where he'd likely never see him again.

Kouji had had more than enough of other people dictating when and how he would see his brother, or if he saw him at all. Cherubimon, what little he knew of the name, meant nothing else to him than someone else trying to make decisions that he had no right to. The difference was that in this case, he could fight back against Cherubimon's minions. He could stop it from happening. He could _keep Kouichi safe_.

Someone clearly had to. Kouji still knew only the barest bones about what his brother's life had been like, and he wanted to know so much more. But that all would come later.

_Maybe then you can talk to him about your own life, too._ Kouji didn't know if that were true. But he kind of wanted it to be. Just a little.

Ranamon's water blast surged toward him and he leaped over it, twisting in mid-air, watching as she guided it to follow him, and landed directly in front of Mercuremon, just long enough to make certain that the blast hit the mirror man instead of himself. With barely a breath to spare, he rolled out of the way and charged Ranamon once again, moving too quickly for her to work up another attack.

Speed was his only weapon that truly could work here. If he slowed down, even for a moment, then all four of them would be on him, and he would be done for. That wasn't going to happen. He couldn't be caught; neither of them could be. Once was more than enough.

Speed, and using their attacks against each other, because the moment that Ranamon's attack slammed into Mercuremon, the Warrior of Steel somehow sucked it into one of his mirrors and it blew out the other one. Wolfmon scrambled out of the way, letting it knocked down half a dozen trees, as well as Arbormon. All the better, so far as he was concerned.

_Mercuremon. Ranamon. Arbormon._ Missing one.

Grottomon burrowed up from the ground almost at his feet and Wolfmon had only a matter of instants to move before that blasted mallet aimed right for his chest. He didn't make it, not entirely. Instead of taking the full blow, which would've put him flat on his back, he dodged enough so that he fell to one side, the wind almost knocked out of him.

He had to move. He couldn't get his feet to support him, not just yet. Fighting all of these powerful enemies on his own, along with the constant worry on if Kouichi and Pipimon made it away safely, took a larger toll on him than he'd thought. So did the aching pit of hunger in his stomach. Those berries had fixed the majority of his earlier injuries but they hadn't done nearly enough to feed him, and as he knew all too well now, fighting of any kind required energy.

"This is hardly even fun anymore," Ranamon pouted, sounding far too close to him. "He doesn't ever know when to quit."

"I find that rather amusing myself," Mercuremon countered. He sounded even closer and that was far worse. Wolfmon started to move, only to find himself knocked backward by a powerful backhand from the steel fighter. He didn't let himself stay like that, but used it to scramble to his feet, breathing hard.

"I'm not here for your amusement," he growled, eyes flicking between them all. Something wasn't right, but he couldn't put his mental finger on it. He didn't like it, whatever it was. But he didn't have time to think about it, not when he had to watch himself from every side.

Mercuremon, Ranamon, and Grottomon moved closer to him and he backed up, raising his weapons, still with plenty of fight left in him. Still there was something off and his tired, hungry mind couldn't put the pieces together.

"I would beg to differ, Wolfmon," Mercuremon replied, his lips curved upward into a smile meant to make people shiver. "You have two roles in life. You will either serve Cherubimon-sama, or entertain us as we kill you for not serving him."

"Sorry. I've really got a lot of other plans that don't involve either of those." Wolfmon panted perhaps a bit more than was actually necessary, wanting to give them the impression he was on his last legs. "And I'm getting really tired of talking to you guys about this." That was absolutely true. From the first moment he'd met them, he hadn't liked talking to them, and he didn't want to keep on doing it. He needed a break and he'd get it any way that he could.

Up he went, quick as could be, and brought down his blades with every ounce of strength he bore on top of Mercuremon. His opponent raised his arms in time to catch the energy blades, and did so without looking half as tired as Wolfmon himself felt.

_Jerk._ Wolfmon knew that if he didn't do something that would knock them all out, at the very least, then this battle would end with his defeat. Numbers alone would wear him down. It was three against one, after all.

_Three?_ That was it. That was what he couldn't figure out before. There were supposed to be four of them, and he couldn't find Arbormon suddenly.

He hit the ground hard, a little more so than he'd wanted to, and his attention darted over the area, searching for the fourth. Arbormon had to be there somewhere.

The answer came on the wings of the wind and in the form of a scream that Wolfmon knew far too well. He'd barely taken a step before Mercuremon stood in front of him, arms folded over his chest, and shook his head.

"Cherubimon-sama dictates that we bring his prisoner to him without any further delays. Which means we are going to have to forgo the pleasure of _your_ company on the trip."

"Kouichi's not going anywhere!" Wolfmon struck forward again, only for Mercuremon to evade, and Ranamon to blast him with a thick Jealousy Rain. He took it right to the face, the foul water draining his strength to the point it was all he could do to keep himself on his feet.

"That is no longer your decision to make," Mercuremon declared, removing that last shred of strength Wolfmon had with a hard punch to the stomach, one that he felt even through his armor. "Consider yourself lucky that we don't take your Spirit and your life while we're at it."

"Why don't we?" Ranamon pouted, staring down at the now-fallen Wolfmon as if he were little more than a broken toy she hadn't entirely finished destroying. "What's stopping us?"

"Did you not hear me? Did you not hear Cherubimon-sama? He wants the boy brought to him and us to return with him. We don't have time to fritter away anymore." Mercuremon's smile slashed over his mirror face once again. "But we'll have other chances, Ranamon. Don't fret about it."

He turned his attention back toward Wolfmon as the other started to get up, arms shaking with weariness and anger. "But right now, I think _someone_ needs a little nap."

Wolfmon had no time to wonder about what he meant. Not when a heavy metallic hand slammed down on the back of his neck and everything around him exploded into stars and shadows.

* * *

Mercuremon smiled in satisfaction as Wolfmon slumped down. Strips of data surrounded him for a few seconds before the human boy lay there, eyes closed, unmoving save for his breathing. The Warrior of Steel was a little grateful for that. He wanted only to render him unconscious, not kill him.

Killing would be for later.

Moments later, not only did the Trailmon they'd been waiting for finally chug up, but Arbormon arrived, once more holding the boy prisoner. This time he also held the small Digimon that had served the humans so faithfully. Pipimon wriggled and bounced helplessly. Mercuremon turned a stern look upon it.

"Leave...him… alone..." The words came from below him and Mercuremon found himself more than a little surprised to see the human Warrior starting to stir again. What was it going to take to stop him, short of death itself?

Mercuremon put that thought away to deal with later. Instead, he gestured to Ranamon. "Finish it." He made certain to point toward Pipimon, not wanting her to get any ideas about tackling either the prisoner or the human warrior.

"Oh, thank you!" Her eyes lit up with joy even as she conjured a full strength Rain Stream. He knew what the human didn't; they were almost as at the end of their respective ropes as he was. That was another reason he wanted to get back to their base.

To think that one warrior, one more human than Digimon, could've worn all of them out like this. Mercuremon didn't know if he should be proud to have such a worthy opponent or angry that they hadn't yet defeated him.

Speaking of the human, he once more struggled to get back to his feet. Mercuremon decided this had to have something to do with the strength of the spirit. There simply wasn't enough _oomph_ in a human body to carry on like this. For that matter, there didn't seem to be enough oomph for the child to do more than try to stand sway.

"Rain Stream!" Ranamon's power lashed out, knocking Pipimon out of Arbormon's grip and slamming him into the nearest rock formation.

Pipimon weren't very highly evolved Digimon. Ranamon, despite every single one of her flaws – which Mercuremon could've listed in detail with no less than three examples each – was a Legendary Warrior. Her attack would've given anyone pause.

When the water splashed away, Pipimon lay still against the rock, quivering. His eyes flicked from side to side, large and confused and sad. "Kou-ji? Kou-ichi?"

He had no more time to say more than that before he collapsed into data and his egg darted away.

"Why didn't you take his data?" Ranamon demanded. "I thought you could at least do that!"

"That's hardly enough to bother with." Mercuremon turned his attention to the Warrior of Light. "Good-bye."

When the boy fell this time, he stayed where he was. He still hadn't moved in the time it took Mercuremon and the others to get onto the Trailmon and head out of sight, on their way to Cherubimon-sama with his precious prize.

**To Be Continued**


	17. Meeting His Angel

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing involved in this story unless I invented it myself. This is written for fun, not for profit. All forms of feedback eagerly accepted. Concrit is loved the most, but everything is welcome.  
**Fandom:** Digimon Frontier  
**Title:** Eyes of Light: Chapter 17: Meeting His Angel  
**Character:** Minamoto Kouji, Kimura Kouichi  
**Word Count:** chapter: 2,141||story: 37,171  
**Genre:** Adventure, Friendship||**Rated:** PG-13  
**Challenge:** Diversity Challenge, section L, #13: a multichap that is a series or season rewrite; Random Character Is Your Hero Challenge; &amp; what-If: What if the twins' mother died before Kouichi met Kouji? &amp; What if Kouji was the one searching for Kouichi?  
**Notes:** I don't know if this will have Kouji x Kouichi in it yet or not. The story will tell me in due time. This is going to be a rewrite of Digimon Frontier and it will _mostly_ follow the course of canon, but through Kouji's eyes. Some events will turn out differently, for various reasons, ranging from the type of what-ifs I chose as the basis for this to something I think should've happened differently.  
**Summary:** Kouji didn't expect a lot of things. He didn't expect to find out his mother had died. Or that he had a twin brother. Or that he was being called to a new world to fight in a war. Or that said twin brother would get on the train with him. And that was just the beginning.

* * *

_Kouji! Kouji!_ Kouichi jerked in the vine bindings, only to find that these tightening the harder he struggled in them. He had to stop, just to make certain he didn't strangle himself.

Exhausted from lack of sleep, fighting he wasn't used to, and the absolute terror of seeing not just Kouji collapsing but whatever they'd done to Pipimon as well, he closed his eyes and wondered how long he'd have to stare into the darkness before all of this turned out to be nothing more than a massive nightmare.

He would like it to be one so very much. It wasn't enough that he was being taken somewhere he knew absolutely nothing of, by people that he hadn't liked from the moment he laid eyes on them, but it had been made perfectly clear that their master wanted him. Exactly why he didn't yet know, but he couldn't think it was to offer him a hot meal and a warm place to sleep.

Or if it was, then the price for the meal and a bed would be much higher than he wanted to pay.

His captors didn't even look at him, as far as he could tell. They certainly weren't talking to him, or to each other. They simply made themselves comfortable on the Trailmon's seats and watched out the windows as the countryside sped by.

_Kouji._ Kouichi could feel tears pricking at the corners of his eyes and wished he had a hand free to wipe them away. Kouji had to be all right. He'd be _hurt_, that was obvious. But he was still _alive_. They couldn't kill Kouji. He wouldn't let them. No matter what happened to him, if they'd done that, then he'd do _anything_ he needed to do to get them back for it.

He thought he heard a dark chuckle somewhere in his mind, a sound that he knew he hadn't made. It didn't feel right, an intruder that should never be there, but he couldn't think of who it would be. Why would anyone want to be in _his_ mind, anyway? It wasn't as if it were the most enticing mind out there. He was only average in his classes and he hadn't even been chosen by that mysterious voice that wanted Kouji.

Again that chuckle sounded and he shook his head as best he could, wanting to get rid of the sound. It was more than just dark, it was _wrong_ in ways he couldn't put his finger on. It felt almost as if slimy little tendrils exuded from that sound, making their way deeper and deeper into his mind. What they were doing in there he couldn't imagine, but they were doing something, and he hated it.

Unexpectedly the Trailmon pitched to a halt. "We're here," it spoke. It wasn't one of the Trailmon he'd met before. Kouichi kind of thought that if it had been, it would've at least asked more questions about why they had a tied up human with them. Maybe this one just didn't care.

Kouichi found himself hauled up again; he guessed by Arbormon, since the other three moved past to where he could see them. Arbormon didn't seem to him to be unnecessarily cruel, but he didn't put a lot of effort into being gentle, either. He simply hauled Kouichi along as if he were nothing more than a sack of flour he'd been told to carry.

Could've been worse, Kouichi reminded himself. It could've been Ranamon. After what she did to Kouji, he didn't want to get any nearer to her than he absolutely had to.

When they stepped off the Trailmon, Kouichi's eyes darted everywhere, trying to figure out where they were and if he could find a way to get out of there. What he saw was a tall spire of orange stone with multiple holes dotted everywhere. Cave mouths, he wondered, or something like that. Maybe doors or windows? He couldn't get a good enough view to be certain. There wasn't that much light here anyway.

Strange, that didn't really seem to affect his ability to see around him. He just couldn't process it all. He wanted to close his eyes again and get some sleep, but the thought of doing so in this place yanked every desire to nap right out of him.

"I'll take him to Cherubimon-sama," Mercuremon said, grabbing Kouichi by the back of his shirt and hauling him away from Arbormon. "You three go do something useful with yourselves."

"Why should you get all the glory of bringing him in?" Ranamon demanded, one foot hitting the ground. "You think you're the only one who did anything?"

"What matters is that he's here now," Mercuremon told her, a hint of malice in his tone. "We have far greater things to concern ourselves with than mere rewards."

Somehow, Kouichi couldn't find it in himself to believe a single word that came out of Mercuemon. No one also seemed to care about his opinion on the matter, as Mercuremon headed down one of the stone corridors.

Despite his excellent night vision, Kouichi soon found himself completely lost in this maze of hallways and stairs. That was going to put a definite crimp in his plans to get out of there. Granted, he didn't know how soon he'd even have a chance to try but he wanted to make it soon. He had to get back to Kouji.

How long had it been anyway? He'd lost track of time on the Trailmon. Would Kouji have woken up yet? Did he know what had happened?

_If I can't get out of there, then Kouji will come for me._ Kouichi didn't have a doubt in his head where that was concerned. Kouji would come. Kouji cared about him. Sure, they hadn't known each other long, but the way he'd fought before? How could Kouji _not_ come for him?

That same low chuckle he'd heard before echoed around, but now it wasn't coming from inside of Kouichi's head. Now it came from somewhere ahead of him.

No sooner had he realized that then the corridor Mercuremon walked down opened up to a wide room. Something that vaguely resembled an altar spread out before them. Mercuremon dropped Kouichi to one side and knelt down before it.

Kouichi decided he was glad of that gag now, because then he would've had to ask what was going on, and he probably would've also said something much worse when a roaring flame leaped up from the altar, and deep within it he could see a shadow that sent a wave of fear all through him.

"Cherubimon-sama," Mercuremon spoke in tones of greatest reverence. "I've brought the child that you desired."

"So I see, Mercuremon. Release his bonds and leave him with me." The voice reminded Kouichi far too much of that laugh in his mind and he shuddered. Nothing all seemed to go his way right now and it didn't look as if that would change any time in the near future.

Mercuremon hesitated for a moment. "My lord?"

The flames leaped up higher and burned brighter. Mercuremon quickly turned toward Kouichi and slashed downward. The vines fell to the side and Kouichi sat up, rubbing at his arms and staring nervously in between Mercuremon and the flames on the alter.

"Go. I would speak with my new Warrior alone." Cherubimon ordered. Mercuremon gave Kouichi one last look, a look the boy couldn't translate to himself, and then backed out the way that they had come.

Kouichi turned his full attention now on the shape in the fire. He took a breath and started to get to his feet. "What do you mean, 'new Warrior'?" That was somewhere to start. He'd get to his demands to be returned to Kouji soon enough.

"It is your destiny, Kimura Kouichi," Cherubimon said. Kouichi opened his mouth, intent on asking more, but the words choked in his throat as he met Cherubimon's eyes. Or as close as he could come at the moment, but it was more than enough right now. The mysterious creature hadn't finished speaking. "There are many reasons Ophanimon did not call for you when she cast her net to choose those who would bear the Spirits."

Kouichi's jaw worked a little but nothing that resembled words came out of it right away. Finally he focused on one little thing. " Ophanimon?"

"The one whose voice you have heard through your brother's device. The one who wished to send you back to your world." Cherubimon made a very deliberate pause. "The one who wished you to never achieve your destiny."

Kouichi didn't move. He didn't think he could. _I thought… I thought..._ He wasn't certain anymore what he'd thought. Cherubimon had to be lying. He was the enemy, wasn't he? Everything he'd heard from Pipimon indicated that, didn't it?

"Kouichi, I am _their_ enemy. But I am not _your_ enemy. I wish your help to bring a greater peace to this world," Cherubimon's voice rang low and sweet, wrapping all around Kouichi. "Once I ruled this world, alongside of Seraphimon and Ophanimon. Digimon were divided into Human-type spirits and Beast-type spirits. I represented the Beast-types while they represented the Human-types. But is it truly fair to have one type led by one while the other has two to advocate for it?"

Kouichi hadn't made much of a study in government, but just off the top of his head, that really didn't seem all that fair. Couldn't there have been another one?

"Perhaps, perhaps not. The point is that there wasn't and they made many laws that restricted and hampered my dear Beast-types." Cherubimon let out a deep and long sigh. "And then came the day when I overheard them plotting even more treacherous moves against my people. I dare not even speak of them now in detail. But they would have removed the Beast-types from the world entirely."

Again he sighed. Kouichi didn't even notice that he'd stopped looking for a way out and stared now only at Cherubimon.

"I had no other choice. I gathered an army of my fiercest warriors and we rose up to defend ourselves before we could be struck down. We were far fairer to Seraphimon and Ophanimon than they would have been to me if they had won a victory. Each of them is imprisoned where they can do no harm. But Ophanimon knew the secret hiding places of some of the Legendary Warrior spirits of old, those who cast down Lucemon."

Kouichi blinked a little, partly shaken out of a trance he'd barely noticed he was in. "Lucemon?"

"To tell you the whole history of this world would take much longer than we have now, Kouichi. Suffice to say that Lucemon once ruled here, and when he turned to the paths of evil, the Legendary Warriors fought against him and imprisoned him. But their spirits were weakened in the struggle and split apart into two, one Beast and one Human for each. Your brother uses the Human Spirit of Light."

"Kouji!" Kouichi started to look around again, a shock of energy flushing all through him at his twin's name. Cherubimon's voice took it right out of him again, so soft and soothing and relaxing.

"Relax, Kouichi. It will be so much better if you relax and listen to me. Have I caused you harm in any way? Yes, my Warriors can be rough, but we are at war, and I dared not ask them to treat you gently. All will be well if you simply listen and understand."

Kouichi blinked, trying to find some sort of flaw in that logic, and not having a lot of luck in doing so. Without thinking about it, he slid down to his knees. It was more comfortable like this anyway. There didn't seem to be any chairs in this strange room and he was still very tired after everything that happened.

Cherubimon kept on speaking. "Ophanimon forged a connection to your world and called for children who she thought could use those Spirits. Five have been chosen: those who use the Spirits of Fire, Light, Wind, Ice, and Thunder. But she did not have all of those Spirits. Others have rested in my possession: the Spirits of Wood, Steel, Water, and Earth."

Kouichi could feel the Great Angel's smile long before he saw it. "That's not all, though."

"No, it is not. You are very wise, Kouichi. That is why _I_ chose _you_." Something flickered in the flames, something that wasn't Cherubimon. "I also guarded the Spirit of Darkness. _Your_ Spirit, Kouichi. The Spirit that Ophanimon did not want you to have."

Silence fell for a few brief, eternal moments. "And I can give it to you, Kouichi. If you choose to work for me."

**To Be Continued**


	18. Is There A Doctormon In The World?

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing involved in this story unless I invented it myself. This is written for fun, not for profit. All forms of feedback eagerly accepted. Concrit is loved the most, but everything is welcome.  
**Fandom:** Digimon Frontier  
**Title:** Eyes of Light: Chapter 18: Is There a Doctormon In The World?  
**Character:** Minamoto Kouji, Kimura Kouichi  
**Word Count:** chapter: 2,169||story: 39,340  
**Genre:** Adventure, Friendship||**Rated:** PG-13  
**Challenge:** Diversity Challenge, section L, #13: a multichap that is a series or season rewrite; Random Character Is Your Hero Challenge; &amp; what-If: What if the twins' mother died before Kouichi met Kouji? &amp; What if Kouji was the one searching for Kouichi?  
**Notes:** I don't know if this will have Kouji x Kouichi in it yet or not. The story will tell me in due time. This is going to be a rewrite of Digimon Frontier and it will _mostly_ follow the course of canon, but through Kouji's eyes. Some events will turn out differently, for various reasons, ranging from the type of what-ifs I chose as the basis for this to something I think should've happened differently.  
**Summary:** Kouji didn't expect a lot of things. He didn't expect to find out his mother had died. Or that he had a twin brother. Or that he was being called to a new world to fight in a war. Or that said twin brother would get on the train with him. And that was just the beginning.

* * *

_Kouichi..._ That one word echoed in Kouji's mind. Nothing else mattered. Not the way every bone in his body hurt, some more than others, with the kind of sharp pain that told him he'd broken or sprained something somewhere. He ignored it in favor of trying to drag his eyes open and not having a great deal of luck in doing so.

Nothing else about his _pain_ mattered. Something else did, something that didn't quite whistle and sing in his agony the way that being without Kouichi did, but it hurt all the same.

Pipimon. Battered aside and killed as if he didn't matter at all. As if he were nothing more than an annoying pebble in someone's shoe.

Without him they wouldn't have stood even the slim chance they had, and now he was gone. They were both gone.

Kouji had always enjoyed being alone. Even being with Kouichi had somewhat scraped against his sense of what was right, but he'd been adjusting to it. But now that freshly found part of him was gone and a friend who had helped them when he didn't need to was gone, and not only could Kouji not help either of them, he couldn't even stand up!

He hissed between his teeth. What good was being a Legendary Warrior, holding one of those Spirits that supposedly gave such great power, when he couldn't help the people who'd needed him the most? What _use_ was any of it?

Part of him expected an answer from Wolfmon, a sense of something, perhaps sorrow or grief or advice. Instead, nothing at all came. Nothing but an aching emptiness that echoed his own. He hadn't lost the Spirit. He could still feel it welded to the innermost parts of himself. But where this was concerned, he was on his own.

Well. He'd been on his own before. It wasn't anything all that new to him.

His fingers clenched. Dirt stuck to them. He didn't have to open his eyes to see that. He tried to push upward, but his arms refused to support him. He could deal with that. His legs and feet scrambled in the dirt. A harsh, strangled cry of pain wrenched its way out of his throat at the way his left leg screamed at him.

_Oh. Guess that's what I broke._ That was good to know, at least. He hoped there was some kind of a doctor around in this world. What would a doctor Digimon be called? Medicmon? Surgeonmon?

He probably needed a lot more sleep and something to eat before he'd make sense even to himself. Too bad he couldn't get it here. Where was he, anyway?

He cranked an eye open. At least that would work. It took him a few moments – at least he thought that was all it was – to focus on what he was seeing. _Trailmon stop. That's right._ They'd been brought here by the other Warriors. The ones who took Kouichi and killed Pipimon.

He would kill them for that. He would make it hurt, like they hurt Kouichi.

He pushed with the foot that didn't howl at him when he tried to move. That one got a little better traction, his knee scraping along the ground just enough so he could push himself upward. He thought he saw a tree not that far away and decided he would go over to the tree. The tree would give him something to support himself on. He'd figure out what to do once he got himself back on his feet.

No, he knew what to do: find Mercuremon, Ranamon, Grottomon, and Arbormon, and beat them all, and then find Cherubimon and take Kouichi back. He would figure out _how_ to do it once he was on his feet again.

Kouji tried to get himself steady on one knee. It wasn't easy since the one knee wanted to waver, quake, and send him back down onto his face in the dirt. He didn't think it was especially injured, just that he barely had the strength to string two words together, much less something as complex as standing and walking.

He slammed both of his hands into the ground underneath himself and pushed upward with every ounce of strength he had, ignoring how his right shoulder howled harder and his left elbow threatened to fail. If he did meet a Doctormon or whatever, he'd probably be able to give them enough business to last for a week. Maybe two weeks.

He managed to toddle up to his feet and before he could try to take stock on what he was doing or how steady he was, he threw himself at the tree, wrapping his arms around it, his feet scrambling madly underneath him until he didn't think he'd fall anymore.

Kouji took several deep breaths, wishing he could ignore the siren song of pain that his body decided to serenade him with. His head spun and he clung harder to his tree, wishing he could do something more than just stand there. He breathed carefully. That was better than nothing.

_If they come back here, then I'm finished._ He hated to even consider that, but it was an unwelcome truth. So, he needed to make certain he wasn't there. Otherwise, he'd never have the chance to get Kouichi back. Kouichi needed him. For that reason alone, he would do anything that he needed to do, whether he wanted to do it or not. Whether he liked doing it or not.

He reached up to crack a branch from the tree. He would need help to move and he didn't think the tree would be able to walk with him, even in the Digital World. Just as well. He didn't want a walking tree, just a walking stick.

This one was a little shorter than he would've wanted it, but it carried him along and Kouji decided to be satisfied with it. He stumped forward, hoping he didn't fall. The longer he kept on moving, the more he found himself able to ignore the pain. The pain didn't go anywhere. If anything, it got worse as he moved. But he ignored it. That one thought rang sharp and strong in his mind: he needed to find Kouichi and he would do whatever he had to in order to accomplish this.

* * *

He didn't know how long he'd been moving along. Just that he had been and he thought it was getting close to nightfall. Either that or he couldn't see that much anymore. One way or the other, it was dark and he knew vaguely he needed to sleep.

_Food?_ The thought wandered lazily through his mind but he didn't have much to work with for it. He hadn't paid attention to any of the trees and he didn't know if there were any streams nearby either.

He needed help. He hated to even _think_ the word, but there it was and he had to work with it. If he didn't get help then…

Well, he just needed help.

That didn't mean he had any here or that there was any anywhere he could get to it. Whenever he heard noises that suggested other people around, he hurried on out of sight. Without the ability to fight back and scarcely with the ability to tell friend from foe, he didn't dare take any chances.

Kouji sagged against a tree, holding his stick close to himself. He thought he didn't hurt as much, but if that was due to numbness or just getting used to it, he wasn't sure. He just sat, letting himself rest and doing what he could to think more clearly. Or think at all.

His needs were the same as they'd been since arriving in this world. Food. Shelter. Rest. The difference was that now he only had to look for enough for one person.

What he needed he could find at one of the Digimon villages. He'd have to pay for it somehow, but he could do work, once he healed up enough. Nothing that would really bother him there. That made the answer simple enough: he'd find a village, hire on as help, and get food, warmth, shelter, and maybe even information on how to stomp his enemies into nothing more than memories.

With that settled, he pushed himself to his feet again and started to move onward. Finding a village might not be that simple, but he would find nothing if he didn't move. The sooner he got on the way, the better.

He kept on walking. He didn't know when he stopped, only that his legs suddenly refused to move anymore, not without turning to the side, answering to a call from his burning throat. That was a pain he hadn't even realized had joined the chorus, until he stumbled down on one knee next to a small trickle of water and scooped several handfuls down his throat.

Doing so cleared his mind more. He closed his eyes, thinking. He knew for a fact he didn't recognize any of this area. That wasn't surprising. So far as he could tell, there weren't any villages close, so he'd do what they'd done every other time so far: look for a Trailmon track. If the Trailmon couldn't take him to a village, then it should at least be able to tell him where one was.

Once his feet were amenable to moving on again, Kouji gathered up his staff and kept going. With a little rest and water, he could now keep better track of what was going on around him. It really was getting darker, the sun already having dipped behind the mountains. He thought those were the same ones that he, Kouichi, and Pipimon had been heading toward before being interrupted. That made going there a little more certain in his mind.

He couldn't walk all night, no matter how much he wanted to. With his head having cleared to a degree, he knew that doing so would just make his injuries worse. When it was dark to the point that even he couldn't see much ahead of him, he found a small cave in a little hill and curled up in it. No one else seemed to want to use it as a lair tonight, so he got what rest he could there.

Even with his stomach growling and various body parts still humming their chorus of pain, he managed to dip into a deep sleep that lasted until morning's first light touched the horizon. Scouting the area as he worked to get the stiffness out of his muscles and to try to tell the difference between being stiff and being in pain gave him a half a dozen apples – at least he thought they were apples – and another small stream to drink from. He looked back fondly on many of the breakfasts he'd had with his dad and stepmom now. He'd eaten plenty of them without even taking note of what was going down his throat. Now he could almost recall them all in perfect detail.

He needed to think about something to keep himself going today and he didn't know if the raw hate that connected to Kouichi's abduction and Pipimon's death would do it well enough. He didn't know if he could convince himself that his dad would want him to keep going, even for the chance to save Kouichi. He wanted to think that he would, but this was as much out of Minamoto Kousei's experience as it was out of Kouji's own. The difference was that Kouji could do something about it.

It wasn't quite the same as hate, but it was determination and that was good enough. He would find Kouichi. Kouichi would be safe. If the person who'd called him to this world couldn't take them from each other, then no one else could.

That sparked another thought and he worked his D-Scan out, staring down at it. "Got anything to say now?" he growled down at it. He almost didn't recognize his own voice. Certainly he'd never been much of a talker before, but this was on another level. He sounded deeper, perhaps a bit darker, and his anger hadn't receded one bit.

That was fine. Especially when the D-Scan remained inactive and he ended up shoving it back into his pocket, grabbing for his staff, and shoving himself onward. Whenever he found whoever this was, then he was going to give them two pieces of his mind. One for him and one for Kouichi.

_If she'd called him, he might've had a spirit of his own. Then he could've fought them off. __**We**__ could've fought them._

There was plenty of blame to go around and he wouldn't stint on his own. He should've done better in the fight. Four against one odds meant he should've found a way to escape.

He'd fix all of that. Even if it killed him to do so.

**To Be Continued**


	19. Climbing Up, Falling Down

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing involved in this story unless I invented it myself. This is written for fun, not for profit. All forms of feedback eagerly accepted. Concrit is loved the most, but everything is welcome.  
**Fandom:** Digimon Frontier  
**Title:** Eyes of Light: Chapter 19: Climbing Up, Falling Down  
**Character:** Minamoto Kouji, Kimura Kouichi  
**Word Count:** chapter: 2,144||story: 41,485  
**Genre:** Adventure, Friendship||**Rated:** PG-13  
**Challenge:** Diversity Challenge, section L, #13: a multichap that is a series or season rewrite; Random Character Is Your Hero Challenge; &amp; what-If: What if the twins' mother died before Kouichi met Kouji? &amp; What if Kouji was the one searching for Kouichi?  
**Notes:** I don't know if this will have Kouji x Kouichi in it yet or not. The story will tell me in due time. This is going to be a rewrite of Digimon Frontier and it will _mostly_ follow the course of canon, but through Kouji's eyes. Some events will turn out differently, for various reasons, ranging from the type of what-ifs I chose as the basis for this to something I think should've happened differently.  
**Summary:** Kouji didn't expect a lot of things. He didn't expect to find out his mother had died. Or that he had a twin brother. Or that he was being called to a new world to fight in a war. Or that said twin brother would get on the train with him. And that was just the beginning.

* * *

Kouji tilted his head up and stared at the mountains rising high over his head. One thin trail wound up alongside the rocks, little more than an afterthought. In his opinion, mountain goats would've looked at that and decided to find a better way to get where they were going. He would've done the same.

The only problem was that there _wasn't_ any other way around. At least not one that he could locate, and he'd cast up and down for something like an hour each way.

Granted, in his current condition, he couldn't cover a lot of ground in an hour, but he'd done his best anyway, and the practical upshot was that he was either going to take this trail, which looked as if it could be washed out if he had gave a good sneeze, or trek all the way around the mountains to get to the other side, which could take weeks or months.

He thought about trying another way altogether; he still had no idea of how to get where he was going and any direction was as good as this one. But Kouji had a stubborn streak, and he and Kouichi had intended to come this way, so he would cross this mountain and find Kouichi – somehow – no matter what.

Kouji closed his eyes for a few minutes, drawing in slow and deep breaths. He needed every one of them. He had to go on. He felt better than he had when he'd first staggered to his feet, in some ways. In others, he felt worse. His stomach grumbled a demand for food, a demand that he couldn't meet as of yet.

_On the other side,_ he promised it. There had to be food over there somewhere. That was just as much his motivation as finding Kouichi was, and one that was slightly more within his reach.

Gritting his teeth, he started up the trail, taking his time to be careful with every step. Sometimes his head still spun in a dizzying dance that put him at risk of falling, and the farther up he climbed, the less he wanted to fall. He had no idea of if evolving to Wolfmon would let him climb up here faster and rather thought it wouldn't. If anything, it would make matters worse, since as Wolfmon he had to weight up to three times what he did as Kouji. Even being as agile as he was wouldn't help if the rocks collapsed underneath his weight.

He kept on going, pausing now and then when he needed to in order to get his breath or take a few sips of water from the occasional trickle that splashed down out of the rocks. He thanked whoever had designed this Digital World for those tiny rivulets. There was no way he would make it through without them.

Inch by inch, moment by moment, he made his way up the mountain, sidling along it for great lengths. Every step took him closer to his goal and he kept that firmly in mind. On the other side, somewhere, somehow, Kouichi and food. Food and Kouichi. Likely not together, but he would find food and then Kouichi.

Food and enough space and time so he could heal and be able to fight when he did find Kouichi.

It kept him occupied and focused the farther he got along the trail. He'd never paid that much attention to heights, and found himself pleased that he wasn't bothered by them. Even when his head spun, he could tell it was because of his injuries and not because of the heights. When that happened, he closed his eyes, clung to the rocks, and waited for it to pass so he could move on.

He wasn't certain of how high he was before he realized the voices he was hearing wasn't the sound of the wind sighing and moaning against the mountains themselves. Those were _other_ voices, calling out for help.

A quick look around showed him that a shadow some distance ahead wasn't just a shadow. It ran a bit deeper, proving to be a cave. _What in the world is this?_

For lack of anything else to do, he hurried along, still trying to be careful, but now a little worried about whoever it might be in there. It didn't sound like Kouichi, and a small twitch of caution warned him that this could be a trap by Mercuremon or the others. He kept himself ready to evolve at a moment's notice the closer that he drew to the cave.

Once he got inside the cave, he decided it couldn't be Mercuremon lurking there. There just wasn't enough space for the tall warrior of metal. The other three were smaller, if he remembered right, so he still wasn't ready to let his guard down.

But what he saw ahead of him didn't involve any of the Warriors that he'd met already. Instead, a metal cage sat in the back of the cave, keeping a dozen or so… very large snails penned up.

After the last few days spent in the Digital World, Kouji wasn't going to rule them out as being just as intelligent as he was. Instead, he hurried over there, spying the large lock on the cage. "I'll get you out of here," he promised.

"Be careful!" One of them warned him, and he didn't even bother to look surprised. He nodded briefly before he reached for a stray rock and started to bang on the door.

_I could cut through it with a sword,_ he thought, _but I don't think there's enough room for Wolfmon in here either._

He started to look up, wanting to find anything else that could possibly break off the lock, when a shadow moved, far too close to him. He recognized it a heartbeat later and scrambled for his D-scan.

"Where's Kouichi?" he shouted, or tried to. He had little time to do anything other than scream as Grottomon's hammer caught him across the chest and knocked him out of the cave.

* * *

Grottomon stared down at the falling human and snorted to himself. He'd had his eye on the Karatsuki Numemon village for weeks before Cherubimon-sama called them all together to go hunt down that human boy. He considered himself lucky to have even gotten this far with his scheme. Now if those stupid snails would just own up to where the code for the area was, he could move on!

Well, they'd tell him, sooner or later, or they'd never see their precious family members again.

* * *

Kouji didn't know how long he fell. It couldn't have been very long; the mountains were tall, but falling was much faster than climbing. He twisted, trying to get to his D-Scan, but nothing wanted to _work_ right now and then all the breath thudded out of him as he crashed into something.

It wasn't a rock. He thought at first it might be, but then as he realized that his bones hadn't shattered and he was still conscious, it had to be something else.

Slowly he blinked and started to sit up, wincing as he did. He hadn't broken or sprained anything new, but everything that still hadn't healed up yet – which was almost everything – ached in new and interesting ways that made him want to lay back down and stay that way for at least an hour or two.

He made himself get up anyway, looking around for some sign of what had broken his fall and not his spine. What he saw were more of those snail Digimon, all staring at him in curiosity.

"Hi?" he ventured. He hadn't really gotten into the habit of talking to people with Kouichi around. He hadn't really tried all that much either. But he needed to say something or they would just stare at each other all night. "Who are you?"

One of them inched forward. "We are the Karatsuki Numemon. Who are you, stranger?"

"Kouji." Kouji tested himself and his ability stand on two feet. He'd lost his staff somewhere along the way, but he'd been doing all right with walking, even if he'd slowed down some. Just as he'd hoped, he could stand. Running, jumping, and fighting would probably take more effort than he wanted to put in right now, but standing was a good place to begin. "Are you related to those Digimon I saw up there?" He waved vaguely upward, hoping that it was in at least somewhat of the right direction.

The Karatsuki Numemon murmured and whispered among themselves, and the one who'd spoken to him so far moved forward again. "You saw them?" He nodded. "Those are our sisters and daughters. An evil Digimon named Grottomon kidnapped them and is holding them hostage."

"Yeah, I saw him." Kouji's fingernails bit into the palms of his hands. "I've met him before." And it wasn't a meeting he especially enjoyed thinking about. "So he's your enemy?" That got an entire batch of nods from all of them. "He's mine, too, him and all of his friends. So I'll help you get your people back."

Cheers came up from every one of the snail Digimon. The leader, or so Kouji guessed that one was who talked to him, bent his head. "We thank you. We sent a delegation to search out others who can help and they should return shortly. Perhaps you can work together?"

"Maybe." It would all depend on who the delegation brought back. Strong Digimon, who could really fight, those he'd be willing to work with.

So long as he didn't have to actually be _friends_ with them. So long as they could protect themselves. He didn't dare let himself stay around anyone else who couldn't handle themselves in a fight. The image of his brother, helpless and bound, shone bright and unyielding in his mind.

He started to ask about what else they knew when his stomach put in its own opinion on matters: that it was empty and wanted to be filled, right now, thank you very much. His cheeks scorched flaming red.

"You must be starving! You look like you've had a few bad fights of your own, too," the head Karatsuki Numemon observed. "Come this way. We have food! More than enough!"

Kouji didn't put up a single word of protest as he followed the other. Moving around their village wasn't easy, given that they could climb up and down walls in a fashion he couldn't imitate at all, but he managed to work his way into the cottage the leader showed him without straining himself too hard.

Not that he didn't strain at all; as soon as he was inside, he set to rubbing his right shoulder, which had mostly eased off as he'd traveled. Now it started to complain again.

_Wonder if it'll ever stop hurting._ He knew he hadn't always felt this bad, but now it was hard to remember when some part of him hadn't hurt over something. He put it all down to Mercuremon and the others. His ribs twinged far more than they had before, thanks to Grottomon and his stupid hammer. _I'm going to find a way to smack him with that._

He didn't have specific plans for what he wanted to do to any of them, just that he wanted to beat them all and rescue Kouichi. Kouji decided he would be flexible as well. If he could rescue Kouichi and then beat them all, then so be it.

If he could beat them all in the first place, it wouldn't be by fighting them as a group. He had first had experience on how that wasn't going to work out _at all_. No, he needed to find a way to take them on one at a time, and maybe find some way to get stronger before that.

He nibbled at the food provided; it tasted pretty good, despite looking something like a large cabbage. In all truth, it reminded him of some of his dad's cooking. He took his time eating, knowing that the delegation and whoever they brought back probably wouldn't be here for a while yet. And when they did, he already knew what he was going to do. Whoever this was, they would need to be strong and fast and ready to defend or attack at a moment's notice.

The little cottage held more than a few sleeping mats and some piles of tasty cabbages. There was also a pile of sticks, probably to serve as fuel for a fire. Kouji tested one and nodded. Whenever those newcomers showed up, they'd get a surprise. With any luck, it was one they'd survive. Because if they couldn't handle an injured eleven year old with a stick, then they were all going to die.

**To Be Continued**

**Note:** So, coming up we have the Chosen's fight against Grottomon. Clearly Kouji's a lot angrier than he was in canon, but also, I love this fight almost as much as I love Kouji's battle against Raremon, because of how he gets free of his bonds. So, again, this one might last a chapter or two, out of loving detail.


	20. Be Careful What You Drink

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing involved in this story unless I invented it myself. This is written for fun, not for profit. All forms of feedback eagerly accepted. Concrit is loved the most, but everything is welcome.  
**Fandom:** Digimon Frontier  
**Title:** Eyes of Light: Chapter 20: Be Careful What You Drink  
**Character:** Minamoto Kouji, Kimura Kouichi  
**Word Count:** chapter: 2,223||story: 43,708  
**Genre:** Adventure, Friendship||**Rated:** PG-13  
**Challenge:** Diversity Challenge, section L, #13: a multichap that is a series or season rewrite; Random Character Is Your Hero Challenge; &amp; what-If: What if the twins' mother died before Kouichi met Kouji? &amp; What if Kouji was the one searching for Kouichi?  
**Notes:** I don't know if this will have Kouji x Kouichi in it yet or not. The story will tell me in due time. This is going to be a rewrite of Digimon Frontier and it will _mostly_ follow the course of canon, but through Kouji's eyes. Some events will turn out differently, for various reasons, ranging from the type of what-ifs I chose as the basis for this to something I think should've happened differently.  
**Summary:** Kouji didn't expect a lot of things. He didn't expect to find out his mother had died. Or that he had a twin brother. Or that he was being called to a new world to fight in a war. Or that said twin brother would get on the train with him. And that was just the beginning.

* * *

Kouji could not believe his eyes. This had to be someone's bad joke. Only he didn't know whose joke it was and he didn't think it was all that funny to start with.

"You!?" He stared at the other four kids. "What are you doing here?" Shouldn't they be off playing tag or catch or whatever it was that they did?

Takuya rubbed his head where Kouji struck him with the stick. Kouji held back the urge to do it again. "We came to help and get some food. What are _you_ doing here?"

Food. Of course. Kouji pulled his stick away, leaning on it. He still wasn't at his best, though he believed himself capable of taking on Takuya in a fight any day of the week if he had to. Though it would probably be easier if he didn't have pounding pains in various body parts to deal with.

"Hey, where's Kouichi?" Junpei wiggled his way in and looked around. "Isn't he here with you?"

Kouji's shoulders tensed, his stomach whirling. He never forgot the absence of his twin, not for a moment, but to hear that question, to know the answer he'd have to give…

"Kouji?" Izumi moved a bit closer to him, concern in her eyes. Kouji looked away.

"He'd been kidnapped. That's why I'm here. I know who did it, and one of the people involved took some of the Karatsuki Numemon too."

He pushed himself as far from them as he could get. "And I'm not going to stop until I've got him _back_."

He could all but feel their eyes on him. He didn't care. He meant every word that he said. Nothing was going to get in his way, and if that meant _they_ wouldn't get in his way, then so be it.

Takuya came a little closer. Kouji didn't have to look to know it was him. "We'll help. So what can you tell us?"

Kouji ground his teeth together before he turned just enough so he could see Takuya. He still felt the weight of the others watching on him. "There were four evil Digimon who attacked us. Their boss wanted Kouichi and they got him." That was all he really felt like saying about it at the moment.

Takuya leaned in closer, his eyes widening, and he started to reach for Kouji. "Man, I didn't see that before, but you're really beaten up, aren't you?"

Kouji jerked away again. He didn't feel a need to talk about the blindingly obvious. "If you think you can actually do something, then we should make some plans."

Food was brought, more of those flavorful cabbages, and the five of them started to discuss what they knew and what could be done about it. Kouji tried to stay out of the light as much as he could, knowing that they would all stare at his bruises if they could. As much as he disliked being touched by strangers, he disliked being stared at even more.

"This shouldn't be hard!" Takuya declared proudly, staring down at the map the Karatsuki Numemon brought along with dinner. "We've got five Legendary Warriors on our side, and this one guy can't stand up to that!"

"Unless he brings his friends," Kouji murmured. Out of the corner of one eye, he saw the Digimon pulling tightly against one another, staring at the humans, when they weren't muttering to each other.

"You're Legendary Warriors too?" Their leader asked. Takuya nodded brightly. "Oh… we didn't know."

And the whole bunch of them wriggled off to do...something. Kouji didn't know what, but at the moment, the thought of following them to find out wasn't nearly as attractive as getting some rest to prepare for the fight to come.

He stifled a deep yawn; all of the climbing he'd done had taken more of a toll on him than he'd thought it would. The cabbages helped, but not nearly as much as a very long and very deep sleep would.

Another couple of the snail Digimon came over to them, pulling a keg of some kind, along with half a dozen cups. "This is for you too," one of them said. "It's our best spring water! Everyone should have a cup!"

Kouji hadn't wanted to say anything about it, but he was a lot thirstier than he'd let on. The mouthfuls he'd taken from the mountain trickles seemed far away now. He accepted a cup and some water, tilting back to let it drain down his throat.

"Oh, wow, this is wonderful!" Izumi declared, following it up with something in Italian that Kouji didn't recognize. "I've never tasted water like this before! It's kind of like...strawberries!"

Kouji stared down at his own. "Mine tasted like grapes." Very good grapes, too.

"Mine's apple!" Tomoki declared, taking a deep drink of his cup and holding it out for a refill.

"The taste changes with every sip from the spring," one of the Digimon told them. "A cup counts as a sip so every cup you have will be different."

Kouji nodded, finishing his and going for another one. This one seemed like cherries. Everyone had to have at least two, and Takuya put down three before the keg ran dry and a sort of general consensus was reached that it was way past everyone's bedtime.

It didn't take long at all for Kouji to fall asleep, though he had to ignore Takuya's attempts at conversation and sympathy. That wasn't hard, either. Once he got comfortable, he didn't seem to be able to move a muscle.

A small wary part of him warned that this wasn't a good thing. He needed to always be on the alert, just in case something happened…

But no matter how much he tried, he couldn't stop his eyes from closing and the dark folds of sleep from wrapping all around him.

* * *

When he woke, the first word that came from his mouth was one that he knew his dad would never want to hear him say. He looked down and said it again, louder this time.

"Huh?" Takuya, hanging next to him, stirred and lifted his head. His eyes rounded and he started to struggle at once in the ropes that bound him. "What's going on?"

"We were _drugged_," Kouji declared, spitting the words out like tacks. "I bet it was that water. Just don't know why."

"Of course you know why!" The voice of the Karatsuki Numemon's leader came from over their heads and Kouji looked up to see a group of them clinging to the rocks above. "You're Legendary Warriors! We will use you as hostages to get our families back!"

Kouji closed his eyes and muttered another couple of words that his parents wouldn't approve of. "I don't know about these guys, but _those_ four Legendary Warriors? If they were dying, I'd want to have a snack and _watch_!" He breathed in a sharp breath. "Those are the ones who kidnapped Kouichi!"

"You can try to lie all you want!" The leader declared. "But it won't do you any good!"

Kouji struggled in an attempt to get himself more balanced. This wasn't going well at all, not anymore. The only plus he could see was that whatever drug they'd used meant he could move just a little more freely now. He'd probably pay for it once it wore off, but until then, he wasn't going to complain about not hurting like he had.

_I think I can get out of this. I just need something to cut the ropes with._ He twisted to stare around, finding nothing but the other kids, and none of them appeared to have so much as a pocket knife on them.

"What's this?" A voice that Kouji found far too familiar spoke up and he wasn't in the slightest surprised to see part of the mountain fall away and Grottomon step out. Almost at once the Warrior of Earth's gaze fell on him. "You again!"

Kouji snorted. "Yeah, I keep turning up. And so do you." He struggled and squirmed harder, barely noticing the rest of the kids doing the same thing. "Where is my brother!?"

Grottomon laughed loud and hard, shifting his hammer to rest on his shoulder. "What does it matter? You're not going to see him again. You're not going to see anyone again!"

The Karatsuki Numemon leader inched forward, and Kouji looked up in time to see that each one of them now held a small scythe in one gummy paw. "If you don't give us our people back, then we will drop these Legendary Warriors off the mountain!"

Grottomon blinked and rubbed his eyes with his free hand. "Why should I care? It would just make taking their spirits that much easier for me."

The leader raised his head to look at the others, then back at Grottomon. "Aren't they your allies?"

Scarcely had he asked the question when Kouji started to laugh, squirming even harder. "Me, be his ally? I _told you_ already! He and his friends kidnapped my brother! I'd never be their ally!"

Grottomon apparently saw no reason to disagree, since he raised his mallet and brought it down as hard as he could, aiming for Takuya. The Warrior of Flame just managed to squirm to the side in time to miss it.

"Hey! Watch where you're aiming that!" Takuya shouted. Kouji ignored that; he had something else he was watching for. As soon as Grottomon's weapon struck, the tiny scythes the Karatsuki Numemon carried ended up knocked out of their hands.

He tracked one of them in particular, swaying softly on the ropes binding him, then pushed himself as hard away from the mountain as he could. The scythe spun, blade gleaming sharply, and he aimed quickly. If he timed this just right…

The blade sliced through his bonds and he brought his arms around, one hand slamming down into his pocket. He paid no attention to gravity. Gravity would be someone else's problem, not his. He had other things to worry about, like getting hold of Grottomon and making him _hurt_ until he confessed where Kouichi was.

"Spirit Evolution!" Power poured into him. The drug had done plenty to ease his pain but evolving was even better. He could do something now.

Wolfmon drove his feet against the side of the mountain and launched himself upward, swords appearing in his hands. Grottomon still stood where he was, but only for the few seconds that it took to realize that someone was coming, and that someone was not happy at all.

"Kouichi! Where is he? What did you do to him?" He would not stop until he had those answers, no matter who he had to fight.

Grottomon didn't try to give him them. Instead, he dug into the ground, vanishing with the echo of a twisted laugh hovering in the air behind him.

Wolfmon turned, searching, knowing what was coming. He'd fought Grottomon before, but now the odds were on his side. He could hear the others evolving; the sooner they did, the better. He noticed only in passing that they _all_ did. So Junpei had a Spirit now too, one that even looked like a good fighter.

Agnimon leaped up to stand beside Wolfmon, looking at where Grottomon vanished. "Where is he?"

"In there somewhere," Wolfmon replied, gesturing with the hilt of one sword. "He can dig underground and he's _fast_ doing it."

"That I am!" And Grottomon came up almost directly at Wolfmon's feet, slamming his mallet as he did. Wolfmon crossed his arms, catching the blow before it could do much damage, and holding him there.

Agnimon jumped back and started to toss several Fire Darts at Grottomon. "You heard him! Tell us where his brother is!"

The Warrior of Earth dodged and ducked the attack, though several of them still struck him anyway. "Nope!" He wrenched his mallet away from Wolfmon and dropped back down into the ground. "You'll never get me to tell!"

Wolfmon and Agnimon's eyes met. "You know, he kind of reminds me of my little brother," Agnimon murmured. "Only Shinya's not that much of a brat most of the time."

"He probably doesn't dig around in the dirt like this guy does, either," Wolfmon pointed out. Agnimon shrugged.

"Sometimes he does, actually. Though he doesn't get that deep."

Wolfmon shook his head. They could discuss family time later. Right now, they needed to get the Karatsuki Numemon to safety and finish this fight.

"Wolfmon, look out!" Agnimon's warning wasn't quite in time. Grottomon appeared only a breath away from the Warrior of Light, and once again his mallet struck the armored warrior hard in the middle of his back. Wolfmon was getting _really_ tired of taking hits there.

Grottomon just kept laughing as he headed back underground. "You're too weak! All of you too weak!" He came back out a short distance away. "You're all going to lose!"

Wolfmon hated to consider it, but right now, he couldn't see a way for them to win. Even being outnumbered wasn't so bad when he could choose when and if he fought them at all.

There had to be an answer. He just needed time to figure it out. And time was a factor not on their side.

**To Be Continued**


	21. Through An Angel's Eyes

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing involved in this story unless I invented it myself. This is written for fun, not for profit. All forms of feedback eagerly accepted. Concrit is loved the most, but everything is welcome.  
**Fandom:** Digimon Frontier  
**Title:** Eyes of Light: Chapter 21: Through an Angel's Eyes  
**Character:** Minamoto Kouji, Kimura Kouichi  
**Word Count:** chapter: 2,132||story: 45,840  
**Genre:** Adventure, Friendship||**Rated:** PG-13  
**Challenge:** Diversity Challenge, section L, #13: a multichap that is a series or season rewrite; Random Character Is Your Hero Challenge; &amp; what-If: What if the twins' mother died before Kouichi met Kouji? &amp; What if Kouji was the one searching for Kouichi?  
**Notes:** I don't know if this will have Kouji x Kouichi in it yet or not. The story will tell me in due time. This is going to be a rewrite of Digimon Frontier and it will _mostly_ follow the course of canon, but through Kouji's eyes. Some events will turn out differently, for various reasons, ranging from the type of what-ifs I chose as the basis for this to something I think should've happened differently.  
**Summary:** Kouji didn't expect a lot of things. He didn't expect to find out his mother had died. Or that he had a twin brother. Or that he was being called to a new world to fight in a war. Or that said twin brother would get on the train with him. And that was just the beginning.

* * *

This wasn't much of a room, but Kouichi didn't think he needed much right now. Just a flat place to sleep and a window that he could stare out of, and it provided both of those. The view wasn't spectacular, either, but he wasn't in the mood to be particular.

Kouji was out there somewhere, looking for him. Kouichi refused to believe otherwise.

_I would do it, if it were me. I'd look for him. I'd never give up._ He wanted to believe the same was true for Kouji.

Cherubimon had given him this room to rest in while he thought over the offer of wielding the Spirits of Darkness. Kouichi hadn't given much thought to it yet, but the concept still hovered in the back of his mind. Everything Cherubimon said made so much sense, no matter how he looked at it. It wasn't _right_ that one type would be suppressed at the cost of the other. He recalled enough of his history lessons to know how many wars had been fought over that very idea.

He knew that Cherubimon's warriors were up to something; they didn't speak where he could hear them often, but he'd heard a few whispered moments here and there. It was just enough to keep him wary of all of this.

_Being his warrior would mean fighting Kouji._ Cherubimon hadn't even bothered to hide that. Perhaps he knew that Kouichi would've guessed it anyway. He didn't _want_ to fight his brother, not in the slightest.

"Cherubimon-sama wishes to see you again." Mercuremon's voice came from the door and Kouichi swung his way to his feet, staring at the tall mirror warrior.

He did not like Mercuremon at all. If it came down to it, he trusted Cherubimon just one little flicker more than he did Mercuremon. Not _much_ more, but perhaps a pebble's worth of more.

Mercuremon's lips twitched in that annoying smile of his as they walked through the confusing corridors. Kouichi couldn't guess at how long he'd been there, nor at how to navigate all of these. Whenever Cherubimon wanted to see him, he always needed a guide still.

"Have you made up your mind on if you will join us or not? I'm certain you don't wish to disappoint Cherubimon-sama, do you?"

Kouichi's hands clenched for a moment. "I wouldn't think you'd want me to be able to fight you."

"Oh, but you'd be wrong there." Mercuremon chuckled as if this were a fine jest. "There's little more I enjoy than a good battle against a strong opponent. You would be strong, wouldn't you?"

Kouichi didn't answer. The thought of fighting Mercuremon did more than intrigue him; the idea of being able to defeat this monster that had hurt Kouji and led the expedition to kidnap _him_ was a lot more appealing than he really wished.

"Welcome back, Kouichi," Cherubimon said as the two of them entered the audience room. Without needing to be dismissed, Mercuremon sketched a salute to his leader and returned the way that he'd come.

Kouichi sank down to his knees before Cherubimon. The Great Angel hadn't demanded this of him, hadn't even given him what Kouichi thought would be a stern look if he didn't. But no matter how he felt outside of this room, the minute that he walked in, he couldn't bring himself to stand on his feet. He'd stopped thinking about it the third or fourth time. It was just something that he did.

"Kouichi." Cherubimon, as always, sounded so warm and comforting, as if Kouichi were a valued friend instead of a strange cross between a prisoner and someone he was trying to recruit for his legions of...well, Kouichi didn't entirely feel right calling _Cherubimon_ evil, not with what he'd learned about the other's striving for equality between all Digimon types, but the other Legendary Warriors weren't exactly shining examples of gentleness and patience by any means.

Okay, someone he was trying to recruit for his legions. That would do it.

"Cherubimon." Kouichi bit his lip a little. The next part was something he had trouble with, but like kneeling down happened without his conscious choice, so did this falling from his lips. "Cherubimon-sama."

A soft breath of approving warmth flushed all through him and he knew that was Cherubimon's. "Have you made up your mind yet?" The same question, every time, without a single shred of impatience or anger when the answer was always the same.

"Not yet." As always, the thought of fighting Kouji on any level stopped him in his mental tracks. He didn't want to. He didn't think that he could.

And as always, Cherubimon seemed fully aware of what was going on in his mind.

"You care deeply for your brother. As is only right, of course. But does he return that care?"

Kouichi started to answer, but a tiny shake of Cherubimon's head sealed his lips.

"Of course he has stood by you _here_. What else could he do? He couldn't send you back and promise to return to see you, could he?"

Kouichi bit his lip. For the most part, that was true. They didn't have any way of going back to their own world. But that voice… the one from Kouji's D-Scan…

"Ophanimon," Cherubimon told him. "She is the one who speaks from their devices. And she was the one who wished to return you to your world. I told you that she did not wish you to have the Spirits of Darkness. She knows how strong you would be. She knows that you could swing this war one way or another."

Kouichi shivered from top to bottom at the very thought. He didn't know what to think or even _how_ to think. All he could do was listen to Cherubimon's so very soothing voice.

"As I said, your brother may not care for you as much as you think. Would you not believe that he should be looking for you right now? Within reason, of course. I know how injured he was in the battle. If I had had the time, I would've had him brought here as well, to tend his injuries and convince him to side with us as well. Though he is very stubborn." A low laugh sounded. "A trait you share, I believe."

Kouichi shifted just a little, not certain of how to take that. Cherubimon gave him a small look, and if he'd been human, Kouichi thought that he would've smiled. The way his lips moved kind of looked like one anyway.

Aware that Cherubimon had asked him a question, Kouichi carefully dragged out the answer. "I know he's looking for me. There's no way that he wouldn't be."

"Perhaps. But judge for yourself." Cherubimon made a motion and a shadow fell in between the two of them. Kouichi stared into it, fascinated, his eyes widening as the darkness resolved into clear and moving images, as if he were watching television in a place that didn't have any.

There sat Kouji, still battered but looking better, and he sat beside that kid Takuya, with the others there as well. There wasn't any sound, but Kouichi could tell they were too busy eating to talk anyway.

_He looks… relaxed._ Tension flared all through Kouichi at that. Kouji was _relaxed_. He didn't look as if he had a single thing on his mind other than the cabbages they shared among themselves. He certainly didn't look _worried_ by any means.

"Isn't this how he always is, though? Caring only for that which concerns him. Imagine his life before he knew you, Kouichi. Imagine him not being aware that you existed and not _caring_, either." Cherubimon's voice dropped low, winding through Kouichi's mind. "Do you know what he planned to do after visiting your mother's grave?"

Kouichi did not ask how Cherubimon knew that. Instead, he simply shook his head.

"He wished to go and purchase flowers," Cherubimon said, his voice going even lower. Kouichi knew he hadn't finished. "They were to be for his stepmother. I feel he still plans to do this whenever you return to your own world."

Words choked in Kouichi's throat. _My mother… __**our mother**__ hasn't been dead an entire month yet!_ Tears burned in his eyes and he tried to shake them away.

"I know." The image faded and Kouichi didn't want it back. He didn't want to see Kouji, so careless and relaxed and _not caring about anything_.

How could he? How could Kouji just _do that_? Yes, he needed to heal and he needed to eat, but he looked nothing at all like Kouichi thought he would. He wasn't ignoring the others in favor of planning a rescue. He wasn't telling them about Kouichi himself or what happened. Sure, maybe he had, it was just one scene out of who knew how long, but Kouichi could not bring himself to believe that completely.

And even if he had, what Cherubimon said about Kouji's plans burned bright as a flame, dark as a shadow, inside of him. _He doesn't care about her. Not really. If he did, he wouldn't do that. He wouldn't let someone else be his mother._

"And even before that, did they care about you? Did they wonder about you? Your father knew of you. He spoke not a word of you to Kouji and Kouji never asked. Never wanted to know anything. Didn't _care_."

Kouichi found a new reason to be glad he was on his knees. He didn't think that he could've stood up on his feet at the moment. He realized even now that tears burned down his cheeks. He didn't care.

"Why? Why would he lie like that? Why would he do that?" He didn't doubt Cherubimon's words. How could he? It was all laid out in front of him, in a way that twisted his heart and soul.

Kouji didn't care. Not enough. Not enough to try to look for him. Not when there were other people there to keep him distracted and focused on anything except what should be the most important thing in his mind: finding the twin who'd now been taken from him twice.

It was what Kouichi would do. What he'd thought Kouji would do. What he'd believed Kouji _was_ doing.

Deep in the most hidden layers of his heart, Kouichi wanted to believe that there was something he wasn't seeing. Something that would make all of this make some kind of sense.

He rubbed at his eyes and slowly brought his head up to look at Cherubimon. The Great Angel gazed back at him and Kouichi wondered how he had not seen the sympathy and care in those eyes before.

"I...I need to talk to him. To Kouji." His voice trembled. "I have to know for sure. I have to hear it from him."

"Of course you do," Cherubimon agreed without a bit of hesitation. "And you should. You shouldn't make a choice like this without being aware of the full truth. But you need to rest as well. You're not entirely recovered yourself."

That was true as well. He hadn't fought like Kouji had, but being bounced around the way he had left him with several bruises and bumps. For that matter, he didn't think he'd really slept properly since he'd arrived here anyway.

"I will have you informed when it's time for you to see him. This may take a while," Cherubimon said as Kouichi slowly pulled himself to his feet. "In the meantime, rest and recover yourself as much as you can. You want to be at your best for this."

Kouichi nodded, trying to avoid yawning in front of the kind angel. It would be absolutely rude to show Cherubimon-sama anything but the utmost respect. Mercuremon appeared in the doorway again, summoned by whatever connection there was between Cherubimon and his servants, and Kouichi followed him silently back to his room.

All the while, he could not help but wonder what it would belike to have that connection, to know that Cherubimon watched over him and guided him, and to wield the power of Darkness in battle.

For that matter, he could not help but wonder what it would be like to fight Kouji. He didn't really want to. He wanted to think this was all a misunderstanding. But he could not shake the image of Kouji and Takuya side by side, the others so very close, while none of them appeared to care what was happening to him at all.

He sank down into sleep in moments, the image of Wolfmon standing against him sharp and clear in his mind, and the sensation of what it would be like to bring a blade against him ringing in his soul.

**To Be Continued**


	22. What Is That?

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing involved in this story unless I invented it myself. This is written for fun, not for profit. All forms of feedback eagerly accepted. Concrit is loved the most, but everything is welcome.  
**Fandom:** Digimon Frontier  
**Title:** Eyes of Light: Chapter 22: What Is That?  
**Character:** Minamoto Kouji, Kimura Kouichi  
**Word Count:** chapter: 2,134||story: 47,974  
**Genre:** Adventure, Friendship||**Rated:** PG-13  
**Challenge:** Diversity Challenge, section L, #13: a multichap that is a series or season rewrite; Random Character Is Your Hero Challenge; &amp; what-If: What if the twins' mother died before Kouichi met Kouji? &amp; What if Kouji was the one searching for Kouichi?  
**Notes:** I don't know if this will have Kouji x Kouichi in it yet or not. The story will tell me in due time. This is going to be a rewrite of Digimon Frontier and it will _mostly_ follow the course of canon, but through Kouji's eyes. Some events will turn out differently, for various reasons, ranging from the type of what-ifs I chose as the basis for this to something I think should've happened differently.  
**Summary:** Kouji didn't expect a lot of things. He didn't expect to find out his mother had died. Or that he had a twin brother. Or that he was being called to a new world to fight in a war. Or that said twin brother would get on the train with him. And that was just the beginning.

* * *

Wolfmon dug his claws into the side of the mountain, dragging himself to a halt. Grottomon hadn't vanished back into the rock just yet, but he would at any second. He was just too good at this. They needed something that could slow him down long enough to actually _hurt him_.

Oh, did Wolfmon want to hurt him.

His mind raced, trying to put all of this together. They needed all of the Karatsuki Numemon out of the way, not just the ones down here. The hostages had to be rescued.

"Watch out!" The cry came only moments too late as once more Grottomon turned, burrowed into the mountainside, and came out far too close to Wolfmon for the Warrior of Light's own liking. This time the strike wasn't on his chest, but his side, sending him toppling through half of the Karatsuki Numemon village, grasping uselessly at anything that would support him.

"You couldn't beat us before, what makes you think you could now?" Grottomon boasted, dropping down to stand in front of Wolfmon once he finally managed to cling to the side of a house. He thought it was a house. It held him; he wasn't going to complain about what it might be called.

He didn't wait around for an answer, but raised his mallet one more time. Wolfmon knew he couldn't avoid this hit; all of his strength went into holding on and not falling into the deep void that stretched out beneath them.

But the blow didn't fall. Wolfmon tilted his head back enough and saw Junpei's evolved form – Blitzmon, wasn't it? - standing behind Grottomon with the mallet held in one hand.

"Because now he's got more people helping him. You want to fight? Then fight me!" Blitzmon pulled the mallet out of Grottomon's hands and followed it up with a strong blast of lightning to the Warrior of Earth's face.

Even Grottomon would take a few moments to recover from that. While he did, Blitzmon, Fairymon, and Chakmon all landed in the house Wolfmon clung to with all of his strength. Blitzmon and Fairymon both held their hands out to him.

"Come on, we'll give you a hand up," Fairymon said, and Wolfmon knew that behind her armored mask, she was smiling at him. He wanted to roll his eyes; this wasn't a time for smiles. She still kept her hand out, though. "You don't have to be so tough all the time."

"Have you noticed what's going on?" Wolfmon muttered, even as he started to reach. He didn't want to make friends. He never had, but now he wanted it less than ever. The few parts of his attention not watching for Grottomon's return were busy watching for any of the other evil warriors.

They'd used Kouichi against him before. They wouldn't hesitate to use any of these people, if there was even a breath of thought that it might be useful. All that differentiated them from Kouichi was that they had Spirits.

_They have Spirits,_ that deep inner voice of **Wolfmon**, the part that was not Kouji, that held all the experience of fighting in this world, spoke to the depths of his soul. **They can fight for themselves. They would not be easily defeated. Perhaps not at all.**

He made no response, but once he was settled more firmly, he looked at the other Warriors. "Thanks." The word came out gruff, but he said it at all. He turned his attention to Fairymon and Chakmon, making the decision quickly. "Can you two go get the Karatsuki Numemon hostages?" He jerked his head higher up to where he could just see the cave that was their prison. "They're over there. The sooner they're not hostages, the better."

Wind and Ice nodded quickly and started off on their mission. Wolfmon turned to Blitzmon. "Let's go."

Side by side they headed back into the fight, just as Grottomon shook off the last bits of Blitzmon's attack, and Agnimon jumped forward to join them.

"We're going to have to do this fast. He just won't stay down, no matter what we do," Agnimon said. All three of them kept their attention on Grottomon, waiting for him to do something.

"Yeah, and it gets worse the more there are of them," Wolfmon told them. "I don't know if the others are going to turn up, but the we need to get this done." Maybe once they'd defeated Grottomon, then he would tell them where Kouichi was? Something in intimate detail. Something with an actual address and the keys to the place.

Grottomon's laugh sliced through every thought the three warriors had. "You think you stand a chance against me, just because it's three on one? Doesn't work like that."

"And why not?" Blitzmon wanted to know, beginning to gather energy for another attack.

"Because of this!" Grottomon did _something_; Wolfmon could not describe it, and the deeper wolf within was too busy snarling for him to pass on any useful information. "Grottomon Slide Evolution to _Gigasmon_!"

Three warriors stood in absolute shock. Those whose forms allowed it had their jaws hanging.

"Did you know he could do that?" Agnimon asked Wolfmon. Wolfmon shook his head.

"He never did that when I fought him before." Was it a new ability? Or one that he'd just never seen fit to use in their earlier fights with the others?

Gigasmon gave them no more time to think it over, whirling toward them with his large arms spread wide out. None of them could move fast enough to get out of the way before he struck, hands and feet slamming into them hard enough to knock them all down.

Wolfmon groaned, pushing himself to his feet a few seconds later once his head cleared. The other two looked in about the same shape he did, and he could see Fairymon and Chakmon flying down to join them. Another quick look around showed all of the Karatsuki Numemon reunited. That meant there weren't any hostages being held against them.

And that meant that they didn't have to hold back in fear of what Grottomon or Gigasmon or whatever he wanted to call himself would try.

The same thought seemed to have occurred to Blitzmon as he rose up, casting here and there in search of their enemy. Exactly where Gigasmon was escaped them all, but Wolfmon had his own definition for his location: wherever would annoy them all the most.

"Gigasmon Slide Evolution! Grottomon!" The cry came from above them and they all looked up just in time to see the smaller form of the Earth warrior diving into the rock of the mountain.

"I've got an idea," Blitzmon declared suddenly. "Keep an eye out for him."

He didn't give any other hints, but started to work on one of his attacks, hovering beside the mountain. "Hey, Grottomon! Why don't you come out and fight us?"

There was only a mocking laugh in answer. Blitzmon turned to where it came from, and in a single sharp moment of crackling ozone slammed his fist into the side of the mountain. Lightning blasted forth from where he hit, surging all through it, sparking out through several of the pockets and holes there.

Lightning wasn't the only thing that came out from there. Grottomon all but flew out, and if he'd had hair on his head, Wolfmon would've placed a bet that it would've stood on end.

"What! How dare you!" That was as far as he got before he broke off, staring at the mountain where he'd just emerged. Where solid stone had been, now there gleamed the same kind of data stripes that they'd all seen before.

"It's this area's Digital Code!" One of the Digimon that followed Takuya and his friends around shouted. "It was hidden in that mountain!"

Blitzmon groaned, but the sound was drowned out a heartbeat later by Grottomon's cackling laughter. "Just what I was looking for! Thanks!"

He threw his head back and began to breathe in. Wolfmon couldn't remember ever having seen this before, the actual substance of the Digital World being drained into someone. He wanted to stop it, but there just wasn't enough time. Grottomon sucked it all down in mere seconds and as soon as the last bit of it passed his lips, the entire area began to shake. Rocks and stones of all sizes tumbled down and the only ones who could possibly be safe here were the Karatsuki Numemon, clinging with all their might to the ropes and rocks around them.

Gravity wrapped around the five warriors and their two companions, pulling them downward. Wolfmon struggled and strained, wanting still to get to Grottomon and get the answers that his soul burned for.

"Well, I've done what I came to do! See you around, humans! Maybe!" Grottomon laughed again, vanishing from their sight. Wolfmon couldn't have said where he went, if he'd burrowed into the ground once more or just vanished into thin air. He was a little too busy trying to keep himself alive to take notes. Even the ones who could fly weren't able to right now.

All he could hope for was that there would be another fight. And that this one would end up more in their favor.

One more question rang in his mind, one he had no answers for. _What in the world was Gigasmon?_

* * *

Mercuremon held the shimmering item in his hands, replete with satisfaction. He'd searched for this almost from the moment that he'd become aware that it existed, and the fact Grottomon and Arbormon both found theirs first had been a source of no little annoyance to him.

At least he'd found his before Ranamon found _hers_. To be outdone by that shrieking fool would've been the worst of insults.

But now he held his own Beast Spirit in his hands for the very first time. He could feel the power pulsing within it and the shape of it told him much already.

_This is not like the others._ This was power on a level that he could only dream of before holding it. He would have to train with it, learn its ways and tame it to his hand, and do this all before those humans came to a position where he would have to use it against them.

His lips curved at the thought of what he could do to that Warrior of Light with this. He'd kept watch on him from a distance since they'd left him in a crumpled heap of pain and the thought of fighting him once again sang through what Mercuremon had that passed for his blood.

_I wouldn't mind a few strikes against Agnimon either._ This one styled himself as the leader, and Mercuremon looked forward to teaching him what the real power of leadership was all about. It would involve pain and agony on levels that none of them could yet comprehend.

If only he could do it now. But Cherubimon-sama had other plans, most of which involved the Spirit of Darkness and that human. Being around to guide the brat back and forth hadn't given Mercuremon's days any genuine pleasure.

Seeing how Cherubimon plucked the child's mental strings, until he treated their master with the same respect the true Legendary Warriors did, now _that_ pleased him. Mercuremon didn't know everything that Cherubimon had done to the child, but he could tell a few tweaks here and there when he saw them, especially given how defiant the boy had been in the beginning.

It would be so delicious to see how this ended up. Mercuremon hated to play guide, but he would do whatever he found necessary in order to have ammunition to use against the Warrior of Light in the future.

There were _so_ many toys and _so_ many tools he could use to amuse himself with them all. Mercuremon hadn't even found all of his future playthings, he knew. Or at least he couldn't get to them all, not yet. But sooner or later the time would come, and he had at least the briefest sketches of what he would like to do in his mind.

He'd long since planned what his ultimate role in this war for domination over the Digital World would be. He didn't think there was anyone who could actually stop him, and those few who stood a chance, he already had plans on how to stop _them_ ahead of time.

That was why he would win. No one could outplan him. And those plans were what would bring him victory in the end.

He tucked his new Spirit away and teleported back to their base. So much to do, and not nearly enough time to do it all in.

**To Be Continued**


	23. Toyland

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing involved in this story unless I invented it myself. This is written for fun, not for profit. All forms of feedback eagerly accepted. Concrit is loved the most, but everything is welcome.  
**Fandom:** Digimon Frontier  
**Title:** Eyes of Light: Chapter 23: Toyland  
**Character:** Minamoto Kouji, Kimura Kouichi  
**Word Count:** chapter: 2,495||story: 50,469  
**Genre:** Adventure, Friendship||**Rated:** PG-13  
**Challenge:** Diversity Challenge, section L, #13: a multichap that is a series or season rewrite; Random Character Is Your Hero Challenge; &amp; what-If: What if the twins' mother died before Kouichi met Kouji? &amp; What if Kouji was the one searching for Kouichi?  
**Notes:** I don't know if this will have Kouji x Kouichi in it yet or not. The story will tell me in due time. This is going to be a rewrite of Digimon Frontier and it will _mostly_ follow the course of canon, but through Kouji's eyes. Some events will turn out differently, for various reasons, ranging from the type of what-ifs I chose as the basis for this to something I think should've happened differently.  
**Summary:** Kouji didn't expect a lot of things. He didn't expect to find out his mother had died. Or that he had a twin brother. Or that he was being called to a new world to fight in a war. Or that said twin brother would get on the train with him. And that was just the beginning.

* * *

Somewhere along the fall, Kouji realized that he wasn't evolved anymore. He hadn't willed himself to transform back, but it had happened all the same. Given how far they seemed to be falling, he _really_ didn't like this. He knew far too well how much landing could hurt, especially if they landed on something hard.

The only two of the others he could see right now where Takuya and the kid, Tomoki. Where Izumi and Junpei, and their two buddy Digimon, were, he couldn't tell. Nor could he guess just where they were going or how they'd gotten to where they were falling in the first place. It should've been into whatever that darkness underneath the mountain had been.

Instead, without any warning, blue skies appeared around them, and he could see a green stretch of land underneath them, and he tensed himself for crashing and wondered what he'd break this time…

Apparently what broke was his fall itself. He shook his head, staring at the large bouncy balls for a few seconds before he ended up bouncing out of them again. Takuya and Tomoki were doing the same thing only a short distance away, and both of them looked every bit as confused about this as he was.

"Where are we?" Kouji muttered, wriggling his way to the top of the ball pit and trying to get some kind of view of the area. Unfortunately, all he could see right now was the expanse of balls and some grasslands stretching around in most directions.

"No idea, but this is fun!" Takuya laughed, bouncing up and down as if he had not a care in the world. Kouji tried to remember why it wasn't a good idea to work his way over there and strangle him and all he could come up with was that these guys were possibly his only allies against the evil Warriors.

_Damn. Guess I have to let him live._ He wasn't sure how upset by that he really was and let it go in favor of bouncing a bit higher, in order to get a better view of the area than he could from just the top.

"That way!" He pointed, having caught sight of the edge of the pit, and started to work his way there. Takuya and Tomoki followed, for which Kouji held himself grateful. If they'd wanted to stay and bounce around for half the day, he wouldn't have been surprised at all.

It didn't take all that long to get out of the pit once they had a clear direction to go in. A ladder gave them a safe way to the ground and they started to explore this new area they'd found themselves in.

Kouji's thoughts trended toward Kouichi and what the rest of the evil Warriors were possibly doing. _Are they doing something to him? Or are they doing what Grottomon was and stealing Digital Code from other places?_ Either possibility sent chills down his spine, the thought of what they were probably doing to Kouichi more than most.

"This place is weird," Takuya said. "I don't think I've ever seen anywhere like it before."

Kouji had to agree on the 'weird' part. More than anything the trees and everything else there – and there was a lot of everything else – reminded him of a giant playground.

That image wasn't at all dispelled by the sight of a flying toy rocket going by. Tomoki squealed and hurried after it, Takuya racing after him. Kouji sighed and shook his head.

_These are my only allies? Sorry, Kouichi. This could take longer than I thought it would._

He ambled on after them; without being evolved, the pain of his injuries still throbbed underneath his skin. He didn't need any kind of help walking by now, but his steps weren't as quick as they'd been before all of this. He didn't doubt he'd recover. So long as Kouichi remained a prisoner, he would let nothing at all stop him from finding him.

His lips thinned for a few seconds when he saw Tomoki playing with the toys and Takuya just watching him do it. _This kid is supposed to be a Legendary Warrior?_

For a few seconds he had hope that Takuya would see things his way and nudge the kid away from there. At least, until Takuya picked up the robot and started to play with it himself. Kouji gave Takuya his very best annoyed look; they needed to get out of here, not stand around playing with toys all day!

"Come on, let's go," Takuya sighed out the words. Kouji ignored his annoyance; they were supposed to be warriors now, not children!

They did manage to cover a little more ground, which eased Kouji's annoyance a fraction, as did the fact Takuya didn't seem _entirely_ focused on finding something to play with and worried about their missing companions.

"Going to the Forest Terminal is the best thing we can do," Kouji suggested. Granted he would take any detours necessary to find Kouichi, but if Takuya hadn't guessed that, then he was a lot slower than Kouji thought he was.

Takuya glanced over his shoulder and Kouji followed his look to see Tomoki, this time holding a balloon and with some kind of squeaky pig thing in his arms, looking absolutely thrilled to have them.

_Does this kid never stop?_ Kouji bit back the words he wanted to say. Takuya knew Tomoki better than he did, so if either of them were going to say something, then it should be him.

Which would've worked out _so_ much better in Kouji's opinion if Takuya didn't tell the kid not to play and then try to apologize in the very next breath.

"Don't spoil him," Kouji suggested, not expecting either of them to listen to him. He also hadn't expected Tomoki to start looking like he was going to bawl at a moment's notice after that.

Kouji ignored Takuya's protests that he didn't know how to deal with people crying. That was his problem. Instead, he started on again. "Let's go." His needs were clear: food, water, shelter, any answers he could find about Kouichi's whereabouts, and the quick defeat of all of those who harmed his brother. That did not include standing there watching an eight year old bawl because he couldn't play for five minutes.

"Hey! What're you saying?" Takuya snapped from behind him. "Don't scare Tomoki; he's only eight, you know."

Kouji checked his pace only a little, not bothering to look back. "He chose to come to this world. He should get tougher." He did not want anything happening to Tomoki like had happened to Kouichi. Seeing his brother carried off by the enemy, unable to help himself, and with Kouji unable to help him, did not incline him at all to wanting to see people who couldn't take care of themselves, even if they were eight years old.

At least Tomoki had a Spirit. In fact, that made it more important that he learn to take care of himself, even if he was a kid.

"Man, what is wrong with you?" Takuya murmured. "You are such a jerk!"

Kouji whirled around at once. "And you're too soft on him!" Didn't Takuya understand? Didn't he know what it was like to lose someone that you cared about right in front of you, because you weren't able to save them? How could he _not_ want to get stronger? How could he not want all of them to be stronger?

"Please, don't fight!" Tomoki cried out. Anything else he might've had to say on the matter ended up being cut off by the whistle of a train.

It wasn't a big train, though it was bigger than Kouji would've expected in this land of toys. Big enough so that they could all three sit on it and get something of a quicker ride to whatever this place might have that passed for civilization. Kouji couldn't make himself comfortable where he was, but he tried anyway. Transportation was transportation.

It didn't make dealing with Takuya's annoying existence any less annoying, but he tried. The bear helped. Somewhat.

_A bear. A giant walking teddy bear._ Kouji decided that he wasn't going to be surprised. After everything else that he'd seen in the Digital World since arriving in it, this seemed to be more or less average. So without a bit of hesitation, he jumped off the train with the other two in order to go ask directions of it.

What he did not expect was the giant bear to grab Takuya and throw him to the ground, then proclaim itself the winner. Kouji shifted his position, ready to defend himself if he were the next one to be attacked, but the bear seemed too focused on Takuya.

"Next up is pro-wrestling-mon!" It declared. Tomoki sounded absolutely thrilled by the very idea, which in Kouji's opinion just made it even a worse idea.

If it hadn't been for the still achy throb of his injuries, Kouji might've considered giving Monzaemon, as it named itself, a couple of rounds of sparring. As it was, discretion would b the better part of valor, and the three of them headed out of there as fast as they could all move.

Taking refuge in some kind of a ship, that didn't have any water near it, probably wasn't the best idea they could've had, but Kouji didn't see anywhere better to hide, and it seemed to work, since Mozaemon kept on going without seeing them. But when the ship began to sway back and forth, rising up higher and higher with each movement, Kouji began to rethink his opinion on that.

"We're floating!" Takuya gasped, and Kouji lifted up his head to get a better look, wanting to see what had startled the other so much.

_A floating island of toys._ That was probably worth a gasp or two. Luckily they weren't too high up for very long, especially given how queasy Tomoki looked as the ride came to an end and they got off, with no sign of Monzaemon in the area at all. Kouji counted his blessings on that, few as they seemed to be at the time.

"Come on, Tomoki, I'll give you a ride!" Takuya crouched down so the younger boy could climb up on his back. Kouji rolled his eyes. Would this guy never quit?

"He should walk on his own," Kouji opined. If the kid _was_ going to be sick, it would make it a lot better for everyone if he could run off behind a tree or something instead of being bounced around on Takuya's back. And there were other reasons as well, ones that Takuya and Tomoki both would probably rather hear.

Takuya gave him a confused look. Takuya seemed to have a lot of those, especially where Kouji was concerned. "What's the problem? I said that I'd carry him."

Time to trot out those other reasons. "So, what are you going to do if we get attacked? You couldn't run or fight if you had him on your back." Not to mention that Tomoki couldn't fight if they had to, not if he clung to Takuya's back like some kind of octopus.

"I'm a lot stronger than you think I am!" Takuya snapped back. He might've said more; it might've turned into an actual fight, if Tomoki hadn't started to move on ahead of them.

"Don't worry about it. I can walk on my own." He didn't look at either of them. Takuya watched him for a moment or two, then quickly gestured to a building advertising itself as a sweet shop.

"Let's take a rest over there!"

Kouji didn't feel up to arguing about that. A rest after that boat didn't seem like a bad idea. Maybe there would be something solid in the shop as well. What the Karatsuki Numemon had given them would last a while, but he'd already begun to adopt to one simple philosophy here: eat whenever you could, because you never knew where or when the next meal might come from.

Unless, he sighed to himself moments later, one found a sweet shop that actually had _nothing_ but junk food in it. He stared at the cotton candy Tomoki had handed him without a hint of appetite.

"This really isn't the time for this kind of thing," he said, shaking his head. He wasn't surprised that Takuya had already started to chew on his treat. He tried to keep his own thoughts on business. "We still need to figure out how to get to the Forest Terminal. And find Kouichi."

Takuya clearly didn't have that many manners, since he answered while still biting through his cotton candy. "We're on a floating island city kind of thing. What do you think we're supposed to do?"

Kouji had several answers to that. He chose the one he could say without slamming Takuya upside the head with his own candy. "There are four other Legendary Warriors: Grottomon, Mercuremon, Ranamon, and Arbormon. They're all our enemies." He couldn't say for the fifth; he'd never met the last one. Fears pricked in the back of his mind that he refused to even consider right now. He had enough to worry about.

"Yeah, I know, you said something about that already. But they're not here now so we don't have to panic, right?"

Kouji wondered where all of Takuya's boundless optimism came from. He would like to put a stop on his supply of it. "We need to make certain we don't get jumped out of nowhere. They're strong fighters, every one of them."

Takuya's gaze slanted toward Tomoki for a moment before he looked back at Kouji. "You're scaring Tomoki! Stop that!"

Kouji's breath tightened in his lungs. "So I should tell him there's nothing to worry about? I don't do things like that." He wanted to deal in the truth. He'd been fed enough lies before.

"I'm not saying that! You just don't need to scare him!"

Again the tension flared high and might've blown up into a full out fight, if Tomoki hadn't spoken up. "I'm sorry," he murmured. "You're always fighting, and it's because of me."

Kouji did not flinch. He was not going to back down; he knew he was right. But at the same time, he couldn't deny that it was true as well. And it was all Takuya's fault anyway. They didn't need to treat the kid like he was made out of spun glass, just because he was younger than they were. He wouldn't be here if he wasn't able to be strong enough.

_I won't let anything happen to this kid. He's a warrior. He's not like Kouichi. He can be strong. And I'll help him be strong, even if he gets mad at me for it. Even if Takuya gets mad at me for it._

**To Be Continued**


	24. Toyland, Continued

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing involved in this story unless I invented it myself. This is written for fun, not for profit. All forms of feedback eagerly accepted. Concrit is loved the most, but everything is welcome.  
**Fandom:** Digimon Frontier  
**Title:** Eyes of Light: Chapter 24: Toyland, Continued  
**Character:** Minamoto Kouji, Kimura Kouichi  
**Word Count:** chapter: 2,212||story: 52,681  
**Genre:** Adventure, Friendship||**Rated:** PG-13  
**Challenge:** Diversity Challenge, section L, #13: a multichap that is a series or season rewrite; Random Character Is Your Hero Challenge; &amp; what-If: What if the twins' mother died before Kouichi met Kouji? &amp; What if Kouji was the one searching for Kouichi?  
**Notes:** I don't know if this will have Kouji x Kouichi in it yet or not. The story will tell me in due time. This is going to be a rewrite of Digimon Frontier and it will _mostly_ follow the course of canon, but through Kouji's eyes. Some events will turn out differently, for various reasons, ranging from the type of what-ifs I chose as the basis for this to something I think should've happened differently.  
**Summary:** Kouji didn't expect a lot of things. He didn't expect to find out his mother had died. Or that he had a twin brother. Or that he was being called to a new world to fight in a war. Or that said twin brother would get on the train with him. And that was just the beginning.

* * *

Not even Tomoki and Takuya could stay in a sweet shop forever. Kouji nibbled on his cotton candy, snagged a drink from a selection in one corner, and reminded himself of that. If he hadn't been battered the way he was, he wouldn't have even bothered to do that, but he kept reminding himself that it was best to eat whenever he could, even when the food was just junk food. He could almost hear his dad and stepmom in his head going on about how it was better to eat healthily and he usually agreed with them. But when one's options were limited, one did one's best.

"All right, how can we get out of here?" he mused once they finally started on their way out of the store. None of them could fly, so evolving wasn't an option for that. Maybe they could find a lift somewhere around there? Maybe there were other Digimon aside from that Monzaemon who could help them.

Takuya didn't seem to be paying attention to the problem at hand, however, reassuring Tomoki once again that everything would be all right. Kouji growled; couldn't he remember they had a mission for five minutes in a row?

Takuya also didn't seem to take Kouji's annoyance with that seriously either. "Why are you getting so upset that I want to cheer him up?"

"We have to stay alert, which means you don't need to keep patting him on the back and telling him nothing bad is going to happen. If we're not alert, we're just going to get in each other's way if something does happen." And Kouji knew something would happen. It always did.

If they were going to fight together, then they needed to be aware of each other at all times. Kouji wondered if he'd ever get that through to Takuya.

"I just don't get how you think," the other said with a shake of his head.

_Yeah. I wonder if he's ever gonna get it._ Kouji's fists tightened. This was his help? These were the people he was supposed to count on?

"No kidding!" he snapped, turning to face Takuya, ready to fight if that was what it would take to get through to him. If that didn't do it, then he'd just leave. Let them handle this themselves while he searched for Kouichi and the Forest Terminal on his own.

Tomoki's cry for help derailed the fight before it could properly get started. Turning, the two saw the younger boy being carried away underneath the arm of a Digimon.

"Mozaemon!" Takuya declared. Kouji shook his head, already noticing the differences between the two.

"This one's different. Looks meaner." Gray fur and a general worse attitude that could only spell trouble, that was what it was.

Both of them started after the kidnapping Digimon, who whirled around to glare at them. Despite its stitched together appearance, the claws looked more than sharp enough to shred them if it wanted to do battle.

"Heartbreak Attack!" was what it declared instead, sending a dark heart-shaped wave toward Takuya. He crumpled at once, shoulders drooping, eyes clouded over in pain.

"Takuya!" Kouji pitched to a halt, not certain of what was going on here.

Takuya shook his head, eyes cast down to the ground now. "Don't know why, but I just...I'm just so sad..." Tears first trickled silently down his cheeks, then he burst into full scale wailing, as if he'd never be happy again.

Kouji growled under his breath, turned, and took a Heartbreak Attack full in the face. In seconds he was on his knees, trembling all over, images of Kouichi being taken away by the evil Warriors, of Pipimon squealing as he exploded into data, of hearing the news about his mother for the first time, all coursing through his mind as if they'd all happened only moments earlier, tearing fresh scars through his heart.

Kouji did not like to cry in public. He hated crying at all, but to do so where other people could see him was even worse. Yet the tears dripped regardless, hot and scorching and shameless.

"Big brother Takuya! Kouji-san!" Tomoki's heartwrenching cry pulled both of them out of the depths of their despair, but not in time to stop WaruMonzaemon from running out of sight, Tomoki still held tightly under his arm.

By the time they got themselves sorted out, there was no way to tell where the Digimon had taken their friend. Takuya and Kouji kept on walking, calling for Tomoki endlessly, and getting nothing but echoes back. There wasn't a sign of any other kind of life anywhere, neither human nor Digimon.

"This is all our fault," Takuya sighed. "Because we kept on fighting so much."

Kouji didn't feel like arguing that point. All he did right now was keep looking for the little guy.

"My little brother got lost like this once. I mean, he wasn't kidnapped by a giant walking evil bear, but he got lost in a theme park and I looked for him just like this."

Kouji wasn't going to let Takuya go off into storytime, though. "I knew having him around would be trouble." He wasn't certain of how much he meant that. Tomoki was a little kid and while he was also a Legendary Warrior, that 'kid' part did seem to be more trouble than it was worth at times.

Takuya turned on him without hesitation. "What are you talking about? We're older than he is, so we have to watch out for him! It's just that simple!" His eyes narrowed for a moment. "Just like you're looking out for Kouichi. Right?"

Kouji came within a breath of strangling him. He thought about it very fondly, even as he snapped back. "It's not the same thing! Kouichi's not a little kid!" For that matter, Kouichi was older than he was, at least by a few minutes. And Kouichi wasn't a Warrior. He didn't have a Spirit. _That_ was why Kouji looked after him. That was the responsibility of a warrior to those who could not defend themselves.

And there was another reason. Kouji dropped his gaze for a few seconds, then looked back at Takuya. "We haven't known each other that long, anyway. Just...I only heard about him a little while before we came to this world. And I only met him that same day."

Takuya's jaw dropped. "What?"

Maybe it was the effect of the Heartbreak Attack on him still. Kouji chose to think of that as why the words came spilling out of him to someone he barely knew. "Our parents divorced when we were still babies. Only my father told me that my mother died back then and he never told me about Kouichi at all." His fingers flexed back and forth. "I wouldn't have known about him at all if my mother hadn't _really_ died a couple of weeks ago. That was when dad confessed the truth. I went to her grave that day we all got the phone call."

He drew in a small, shaky breath. "Kouichi was there. I didn't know it, but he told me later. He followed me when I went for the train and just managed to catch it when I did. So we came to this world together. He doesn't have a Spirit. He couldn't look out for himself. So I was doing it for him." His voice trembled and he hated it. It had to be the remnants of that attack. It couldn't be anything else. "And I _failed_. They got him. They took him to Cherubimon and I don't know what they're doing to him there!"

Kouji jerked around, not able to keep looking at Takuya. "I'm going to find him. I'm not going to stop until I do and there's nothing you or anyone else can do to make me change my mind."

Takuya's hand rested without warning on Kouji's shoulder. "Hey, I'd feel the same way if it were my brother. I'd be going just as nuts as you are."

"I'm not nuts."

"Yes, you are." Takuya's voice held a hint of teasing. "But Tomoki's in trouble now too. And we can get to him a lot easier than we can Kouichi."

Kouji rubbed at his eyes. Maybe there was smoke somewhere, because they were stinging now. "Yeah. You're right." But he hated to admit it. "Let's go!"

Even with their new-found determination, that didn't give them any more insight onto where Tomoki might be. What did end up helping was something Kouji wouldn't have credited for it in a thousand years: that same robot Tomoki and Takuya had played with earlier.

There it hovered over them, pointing toward one of the large buildings scattered around. Takuya's eyes lit up at the sight of it. "Is that where Tomoki is?" he asked the robot, as if this were the kind of question one asked every day of the week.

Perhaps it wasn't, but this time they got an answer, as the robot nodded and sped that way. The two followed along, Takuya with enthusiasm and Kouji mostly of the opinion that they didn't have any other clues so they might as well try this.

This was more than a building, this was a castle! If this place were a kingdom, Kouji judged, then this was more than likely the capital of it all, which meant -

"Up there!" He pointed toward the highest tower, where a familiar cap could just be seen through the window.

"Tomoki!" Takuya cried out, starting over the drawbridge. Kouji started after him, but both pitched to a halt as a troupe of dark-colored Digimon marched out in front of them. They all looked as if they'd been made from toys themselves, blocks of some kind, and then dipped in black paint.

Underneath the two warriors, the drawbridge suddenly began to lift up, sliding away from them. Kouji wriggled, spying the deep moat that circled the castle, and had only a few moments to be thankful before the two of them fell into it. He wanted to swim back up, but he couldn't get his body to move right. He couldn't decide if it was the shock of having fallen or his injuries stirring up again and he didn't think it made a difference.

What made a difference was a shape moving toward them, sleek and quick underwater, and wrapping a firm arm around each of them. Kouji let himself relax; whoever this was, they were trying to help. Trust wasn't something he handed out like candy, but in life-saving situations, he extended it a little easier.

Of course, once he could breathe clean air again and there was solid ground under his feet, his natural defensive instincts rose up once more. He stared at the Digimon who'd saved them with all due caution.

"You didn't just save us because you want to fight us yourself, do you?" He wouldn't put that past anyone in this world except maybe the very weakest of Digimon. Maybe.

Takuya, still heaving from being dragged through the water, rolled his eyes. "Don't mind him. Thank you for saving us. I'm Takuya. Who're you?"

"Pandamon," their savior replied, giving a polite nod of his head. "You're in Toy Town. Everyone here likes to play with children. That's why I helped you." He let out a long sigh. "But the ones up in the castle, they're different. _Very_ different."

Kouji's eyes narrowed. "What do you mean?"

"The ToyAgumon there, they started to hate the children who didn't play with them. We don't mind so much. Not every child wants to play with the same kind of toy. But because of their hate, they fell prey to Cherubimon's influence. Now they're the BlackToyAgumon that you saw up there."

_Cherubimon._ Kouji hissed at the sound of that name. He'd do anything he could to annoy that Digimon, just on the chance that he would get a glimpse of Kouichi or some kind of word about what was going on with him.

Pandamon gestured for them to follow him through the tunnels. "The ToyAgumon created this city and made it float so they could go to the human world and get revenge on the ones who didn't play with them. At least that's what they want to happen. It's been floating a while, but no one actually knows how to get there."

Before much longer, they came to a set of stairs. Pandamon gestured up them. "Go up there and you'll be inside the castle. Your friend is in the top of the tallest tower with WaruMonzaemon.

Warm sunlight broke over them as they opened the door at the top of the stairs. Kouji welcomed it; walking around in wet clothes was not a very good feeling at all. But before he could enjoy it, the BlackToyAgumon once more surged in front of them.

"Toy Flame!" A dozen of them barked, and a small missile of fire shot from each one of them. Kouji and Takuya darted to the sides; neither of them could see Pandamon and had no idea of it he'd come out with them or not. But one thing remained clear right now: it was time to fight.

**To Be Continued**


	25. Toyland, Concluded

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing involved in this story unless I invented it myself. This is written for fun, not for profit. All forms of feedback eagerly accepted. Concrit is loved the most, but everything is welcome.  
**Fandom:** Digimon Frontier  
**Title:** Eyes of Light: Chapter 25: Toyland, Concluded  
**Character:** Minamoto Kouji, Kimura Kouich  
i **Word Count:** chapter: 2,168||story: 54,849  
**Genre:** Adventure, Friendship||**Rated:** PG-13  
**Challenge:** Diversity Challenge, section L, #13: a multichap that is a series or season rewrite; Random Character Is Your Hero Challenge; &amp; what-If: What if the twins' mother died before Kouichi met Kouji? &amp; What if Kouji was the one searching for Kouichi?  
**Notes:** I don't know if this will have Kouji x Kouichi in it yet or not. The story will tell me in due time. This is going to be a rewrite of Digimon Frontier and it will _mostly_ follow the course of canon, but through Kouji's eyes. Some events will turn out differently, for various reasons, ranging from the type of what-ifs I chose as the basis for this to something I think should've happened differently.  
**Summary:** Kouji didn't expect a lot of things. He didn't expect to find out his mother had died. Or that he had a twin brother. Or that he was being called to a new world to fight in a war. Or that said twin brother would get on the train with him. And that was just the beginning.

* * *

Evolving took little more than a breath of thought, and once again all of Kouji's aches and pains subsided to the back of his mind. He knew he hadn't completely healed, but for the duration of this fight, he could move like he had.

"Burning Salamandar!" Agunimon started off the fight sending streams of flame at the BlackToyAgumon. The first row fell down like blocks, not moving at all. There wasn't any time to praise themselves about this, since even _more_ of the corrupted Digimon showed up right behind them.

Wolfmon couldn't count how many there were, but he had a name for the amount anyway: too many. _Way_ too many.

And then the number changed, but not in a good way: all of the BlackToyAgumon fused together, creating one larger monster. Still a BlackToyAgumon, or so he guessed, but now in the form of a tank.

_All right. I can handle this._

He landed beside the Warrior of Flame and pushed him to the side. "I've got this." One gleaming sword in hand, he raced toward the large tank, keeping an eye out to make certain it didn't try to fire at him as he moved. He leaped up into the air, holding his blade in both hands, and brought it down with every ounce of strength he had on top of the tank.

There was no describing how satisfying it was to see the tank break down into the component parts. One enemy, defeated.

"What are you trying to do, look cool?" Agunimon asked, amusement laced throughout his words. Wolfmon whirled to glare at him.

"What are you talking about?" Now was not the time!

Something ground together behind him and Wolfmon turned just in time to see that the BlackToyAgumon were still moving. This fight wasn't over yet.

Once again the small Digimon fit together into something new, this time shaping into a tall robot, one that punched down for Wolfmon. He dodged out of the way at the last second, feeling the wind of it whiff by him, and whipped back to his feet, not taking his eyes off the enemy. He had no desire to get hit in the back by something at least twice his size.

"A robot? Man, what next?" Agunimon wondered as he raced over to join the Warrior of Light. That was when they both realized it wasn't one robot they faced: it was two. The second one kicked at Agunimon and the fire warrior leaped upward to avoid it, taken only a little off guard.

"Don't ask. We probably don't want to know," Wolfmon muttered, keeping out of the way of his own enemy's strikes.

The two of them dodged back and forth to avoid being hit, but that was all they could do. There wasn't any time to make a strike back, and even if they could have, Wolfmon could tell that they weren't going to get anywhere by that. Their enemies would just reform into something else.

"This isn't working!" Agunimon declared. Wolfmon nodded; something had to be done to get around the BlackToyAgumon's defenses.

The idea clicked in both of their minds at the same time. Without needing to say another word to one another, they ran closer together and leaped into the air at the exact same moment. The two robots kept after them, just as each of them had known they would do, their fists aiming for the two Legendary Warriors.

Wolfmon and Agunimon bounced off one another, springing out of the way. Try as they might, the two BlackToyAgumon robots couldn't do the same thing and ended up hitting one another with extreme force.

"All right!" Agunimon declared as the one facing him began to glow with the strength of it's Digital Code. "We did it!"

Wolfmon nodded, quite satisfied. He hadn't fought like that alongside of anyone before and whether he liked the idea or not, it gave him a warm feeling inside, one that stemmed both from his human side and the part of him that was now a Digimon. They were _supposed_ to fight together, his inner Wolfmon told him, and this was proof of that.

The robot that he faced also began to shimmer, streams of code surrounding it, and he got his D-Scan out. Time to fix this.

Two swipes from two digital devices, and a pile of colorful ToyAgumon now lay scattered all over the castle's front lawn, looking a great deal as if someone had tilted their toy box and not bothered to pick them back up.

Agunimon and Wolfmon returned to being Takuya and Kouji in a flicker of flame and light. Kouji winced; no matter how good it felt to move when he was evolved, when he returned to himself, fresh bruises and old bruises alike pained him. At least this fight hadn't been too bad for those.

"You all right?" Takuya asked, stepping closer, arms folded behind his head, as if he doesn't have a care in the world aside from finding where Tomoki is, and that's only a few steps away, really.

"Yeah. I'm fine." He would've said the same thing if he'd been laying down there bleeding out. Some things Kouji wouldn't tell anyone, no matter how much they hurt.

"Let's go, then. Tomoki needs us." Takuya didn't wait to see if Kouji followed. Kouji didn't expect him to, because there wasn't a need to. The kid needed them, that was true.

The ToyAgumon still weren't in any shape to tell them which way to go and the stairs were a maze that anyone who didn't grow up here – and probably people who had – couldn't figure out. So it took at least another twenty minutes before they ran up yet another set of steps, calling for Tomoki. By then Takuya wasn't quite as relaxed, and Kouji didn't complain when the other ran up toward the door at the top, mostly because he was right beside him. Really, if they took too long, _something_ was going to happen, and Kouji did not want to see that again.

Because if the BlackToyAgumon had been influenced by Cherubimon, then they could've had something to do with WaruMonzaemon and it was WaruMonzaemon who had Tomoki, which could mean…

Yeah, Kouji ran right alongside Takuya and didn't breath what he feared in the deepest depths of his soul, the fear that had grown moment by moment as they searched and couldn't find.

This time they could hear something coming from the other side of the door, so this _had_ to be it, and what they could hear sent even more chills of fear through Kouji. He thought even Takuya felt it this time, from the way his cheeks paled and he hurried to the wooden door.

Those sounds of something being hit, that sounded far too much like _someone_ being hit, for Kouji's personal comfort, and should they be that loud coming from the other side of a door?

He barely needed to exchange a glance with Takuya before the other slammed the door open. Both of them realized a heartbeat later that it hadn't been locked and that didn't make any sense at all. This was supposed to be a prison, wasn't it? So why not lock it?

But what was on the other side confused them even more.

Monzaemon – no longer WaruMonzaemon – sat beside Tomoki on a comfortable seat, with the remains of a good meal pushed to the side. In front of them stood a television with some kind of a gaming system attached to it, and each of them held a controller. Barely a heartbeat after they entered, victory music played and Tomoki punched the air.

"I did it! I won!"

Takuya didn't move. Kouji didn't know if he himself _could_ move right now. But Takuya found his voice at least. "What are you doing?"

Tomoki turned toward them with the brightest smile Kouji had ever seen on the kid's face, as if everything that happened before hadn't happened at all. "Playing!"

Takuya's mouth worked but nothing completely coherent came out of that aside from repeating what Tomoki just said. Kouji understood completely how he felt.

_Everything we did, we fought our way up here, we almost drowned, that Heartbreak Attack, and he's up here __**playing**__?_

It didn't make any sense. How could it? And yet there the kid was, the most cheerful smile there, and Monzaemon explaining how Tomoki wanted to play with him no matter what he'd done.

"Well, if you're all right, then we need to get out of here," Takuya said at last. Kouji just nodded, not entirely trusting himself to speak at the moment. "Are you ready to go?"

Tomoki glanced up at Monzaemon, then set his controller down. "Sure. Maybe I can come back again some other day and play some more."

"You're always welcome here, Tomoki," Monzaemon promised him. He looked toward Kouji and Takuya. "So are you two, if you want to play."

Takuya's eyes lit up. "You know, I wouldn't mind going a quick round before we leave. We're not in _that_ big of a rush, are we?" He didn't really wait for Kouji to give an answer, but hurried over to grab a controller and waited to see who wanted to challenge him.

Kouji held back everything that he really wanted to say. He'd never been that interested in games like this anyway, so he just moved over to the window and looked out of it curiously. Out there he could see the ToyAgumon starting to get up and move around, looking none the worse for wear after their fight.

_It's strange. Sometimes when we scan Digimon, they're cured of whatever Cherubimon did to them. And sometimes when do it, they turn into eggs and fly off. I wonder what decides that._ This Digital World teemed with mysteries.

He wouldn't have minded exploring this world a little more with Kouichi, finding out its secrets and the secrets of their own past together. Maybe even seeing if there really was a Spirit out there for Kouichi. What would it be? What _could_ it be? There was a tenth one; the few scraps of conversation he'd been able to have before they'd slept that night at the Karatsuki Numemon village told him that much. Could that one be Kouichi's, and what was it? Where was it?

Behind him he could hear Takuya and Tomoki as they worked their way through whatever that game was, cheering each other on, and clearly thrilled from the top of their heads to the soles of their shoes. Even though they weren't brothers, Takuya didn't have a problem thinking of Tomoki as one, and likewise for Tomoki.

_Would Kouichi want to play that?_ How much did he not know about him? He'd had chances to ask and he'd let them slip away. There had always been so much else to talk about when they'd been together.

With so many years apart, he didn't know if they'd ever be able to make up for everything they'd lost about each other. But he wanted to try.

Victory music sounded once again and he looked over to see Tomoki once more waving his hands joyfully. "I am the master!" The boy declared, with Takuya staring at his controller as if it had somehow personally offended him.

"Are you ready to go now?" Kouji did not hide the exasperation in his voice. The sooner they were back on the road to Forest Terminal, the happier he would be.

Going down to the main floor didn't take nearly as much time as coming up had, since they knew which route to take, and had Monzaemon with them, who apparently _did_ know this castle inside and out. When they stepped outside, Pandamon stood there in front of all the ToyAgumon.

"They've asked me to convey their thanks for cleansing them of Cherubimon's influence, and they will take you out of the city as well. You can be put down anywhere that you like," he told them.

For once, Kouji could not hold back his joy at what he heard. They were going to get out of this place! Not being trapped here was _wonderful_!

"Oh, hi!" He turned around at Tomoki's words to see that little robot once more hovering. This time, the robot didn't just gesture and fly away, but settled down on Tomoki's shoulder. "What-what do you want?"

The robot patted him on the neck, waving one hand between it and Tomoki. Tomoki turned toward the others, biting his lip. "Um, I think it wants to stay with me?"

As soon as he said that, the robot nodded in full agreement, patting Tomoki again. Kouji shrugged his shoulders when Takuya glanced at him.

"I don't care. It doesn't make a difference to me." Maybe it could even be useful, scouting ahead or something of that nature.

"Welcome aboard, then, buddy!" Takuya declared. "Now, what was that about getting out of here?"

**To Be Continued**


	26. Web of Shadows

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing involved in this story unless I invented it myself. This is written for fun, not for profit. All forms of feedback eagerly accepted. Concrit is loved the most, but everything is welcome.  
**Fandom:** Digimon Frontier  
**Title:** Eyes of Light: Chapter 26: Web of Shadows  
**Character:** Minamoto Kouji, Kimura Kouichi  
**Word Count:** chapter: 2,149||story: 56,998  
**Genre:** Adventure, Friendship||**Rated:** PG-13  
**Challenge:** Diversity Challenge, section L, #13: a multichap that is a series or season rewrite; Random Character Is Your Hero Challenge; &amp; what-If: What if the twins' mother died before Kouichi met Kouji? &amp; What if Kouji was the one searching for Kouichi?  
**Notes:** I don't know if this will have Kouji x Kouichi in it yet or not. The story will tell me in due time. This is going to be a rewrite of Digimon Frontier and it will _mostly_ follow the course of canon, but through Kouji's eyes. Some events will turn out differently, for various reasons, ranging from the type of what-ifs I chose as the basis for this to something I think should've happened differently.  
**Summary:** Kouji didn't expect a lot of things. He didn't expect to find out his mother had died. Or that he had a twin brother. Or that he was being called to a new world to fight in a war. Or that said twin brother would get on the train with him. And that was just the beginning.

* * *

Cherubimon could not have been more pleased with how events were in the process of unfolding. Every time he spoke to Kouichi, the boy fell further and further under his spell. It took so little effort to weave this web of night, to show Kouichi things his brother was doing and let him interpret it how he chose. A few well-placed words to incline those thoughts in the direction that the Great Angel wanted improved matters, but for the most part, save for encouraging respect for him, Cherubimon did very little to actively control Kouichi's mind.

All suggestions, all teasing hints that led farther and farther in the way that Cherubimon wanted him to go. Treating him decently, hinting at a great destiny that was being kept from him by other forces, hints that perhaps his brother wasn't as perfect or as devoted as Kouichi wanted him to be, all of that helped as well. Piece by piece, moment by moment, it all led to one goal in the end, and sooner or later, Kouichi would arrive there.

Cherubimon did not mind how much time this would take. He _had_ time; the Digital World's data would take a while to collect, and not all of his Warriors had their Beast Spirits, which meant more time was needed for that. The human Warriors would likely start looking for theirs soon as well, now that they knew such things existed.

The more time it took, the better, in all truth. Because the longer it took, the more firmly his hooks would be set into Kouichi, and there would be nothing that the humans could do to pull his servant away from him.

Despite how powerful he was, he knew that he could not see the future. That gift was restrained to either greater powers than he – though even Lucemon couldn't do that, as far he knew – or just to different Digimon in general. Tales said that Phantomon could foresee what was to come. Those Digimon weren't the only ones, either.

He'd thought more than once of luring one to his side to see what could be done about learning the future. But one thing held him back: he did not know if the future could be changed if one knew about it. If it couldn't and he learned what he didn't want to know, then it would be too infuriating to know the inevitable.

It didn't matter in the end, though. The future would follow the course that he wanted for it, because he would not allow for anything else to happen. He'd crafted this trap for Kouichi and the human fell into it without hesitation.

No, he hadn't fallen into it. He'd _walked_ into it, eagerly and willingly, with his eyes open, unaware of the trap's existence. He couldn't be certain anymore if Kouichi remembered he'd been kidnapped to arrive here. It wasn't a question he planned on asking.

Footsteps sounded, soft and hesitant, and he saw Kouichi in the doorway, Mercuremon hovering behind as always. His Warrior of Steel resented his duties as Kouichi's escort, but Cherubimon wanted them to continue. At least for so long as Kouichi existed. There would come a time when he would not, when there would only be his Warrior of Darkness.

Mercuremon stepped out of sight and Kouichi entered the room, going down on his knees as always. Cherubimon knew the boy didn't even question this anymore. The web he'd spun clouded Kouichi's mind to that extent. Respect for the one whose orders took him from his dear brother and who would set him against that brother, all for Cherubimon's own cause.

It was a good cause; one that the Great Angel knew was right down to the core of his own soul. He would never forgive Seraphimon and Ophanimon for plotting behind his back. This would end their meddling once and for all.

"Kouichi. Such a pleasure to see you again," Cherubimon spoke, keeping his voice as light as he could. Careful steps, careful words, all of that so necessary right now.

Kouichi didn't quite smile. Cherubimon wasn't surprised by that. "I've been thinking about what you told me."

"And?"

Cherubimon did not rub his hands together. He did not rejoice at the thought of success. But the thought of doing so was not an unpleasant one.

"I want to see my brother again." Kouichi bit his lip, worry tinting his eyes a bit darker. "He could've...I mean..." He shook his head, not able to voice whatever it was that worried him. Cherubimon suspected he knew. Those moments he'd seen him didn't give all the details. Kouichi wanted more information.

And more information he would have.

Cherubimon summoned up the images carefully. First Kouji was shown calmly eating cotton candy and talking to two of the other human warriors. What they were talking about couldn't be heard, but he didn't look very upset or focused on anything but his candy. Then the image shifted, showing Kouji and more of the warriors, this time in a thicket of trees.

Kouichi leaned forward, captivated by that sight. "What are those?"

Cherubimon took a look himself to refresh his memory. "Ah, yes. The Forest of Televisions. Scenes from the human world are shown on those trunks when the moons are hidden. It appears your brother is seeing something interesting."

The scene shifted around to show Kouji staring at one of the trunks, his eyes just a little widened, but for the most part unmoving. Kouichi tilted his head, trying to get a look at what he was seeing, and the image obliged.

Reflected in the image of the trees were a man and a woman seated at a table. Kouichi's breath whiffed out from between his teeth. "Dad?"

Cherubimon did not understand much about human families, aside from what he was learning in order to corrupt Kouichi. But that longing, that pain, that he latched onto quickly. "It seems that he's watching his own family." _The one that does not include you_; those words did not need to be spoken for Kouichi to know of their existence.

Kouji continued to stare at what he was seeing, then turned away toward the others. Cherubimon let the images fade away. They'd done their job. He waited for some kind of word from Kouichi about this.

The human remained where he was, shoulders trembling, fighting back the tears that burned in his eyes. He swallowed once or twice, then lifted his head to stare at Cherubimon. "I want to go there. To that forest. I want to see what _I_ would see there."

That didn't surprise the Great Angel at all. "Then you will go there. I'm afraid that your brother and his friends have already left, however."

Kouichi shook his head. "I don't care. I want to see it anyway."

_Excellent._ It was far too soon for them to meet Kouichi again anyway. Not until the power of darkness flowed through his veins would that time come.

He summoned Mercuremon back. "Kouichi wishes to take a trip to the Forest of Televisions. Escort him there and back, and make certain no harm comes to him from _anyone_."

Mercuremon bowed his head. Cherubimon could almost see the anger rising off him as he did. "As you wish, my master."

"It would be best if you rested a little first," Cherubimon suggested to Kouichi. "The trip can be long, and you'll need all of your strength."

Kouichi nodded, getting up. Cherubimon wondered if all humans could be molded so easily or if this were just something unique to Kouichi. Perhaps it had something to do with his connection to the Spirits of Darkness? So many questions, and he knew he might not ever get all the answers.

Not that it made a great deal of difference in the end. He would gain the answers he needed the most to ensure his eventual domination over the entire Digital World.

He watched as Mercuremon escorted Kouichi out of there and leaned back, satisfied. He could not control what the televisions showed anyone, but since they showed only scenes from Earth, he suspected whatever Kouichi saw would work in his favor in some small fashion.

Just another way to tighten the web he wove around Kouichi until there was no way that the boy could get out of it, even if he should come to want to.

Perhaps he'd recruit a Phantomon anyway. Even if he couldn't change the future, the thought of seeing the look on the human Warriors' faces when they saw Duskmon for the first time would be something to savor.

* * *

Kouichi knew he should rest. He had no idea of what time it was or when they would leave for that forest, but he couldn't get his eyes to close and stay closed. He fidgeted and tossed and turned, staring up at the ceiling and around at the walls and at anywhere except the door where he knew eventually Mercuremon would appear telling him that it was time to go.

The thought of seeing the human world once more burned bright inside of him. The Digital World was fascinating beyond measure, but he hadn't seen his world in… how long had it been? He tried to calculate the days but too many of them blended together, especially after he'd arrived here. Meals came too irregularly, he slept in staggered doses, and he just didn't _know_.

He thought it had been at least two or three weeks. Maybe even more than that. He wished that he had one of those fancy watches that told one the date as well as the time. Or even a cell phone that could have stayed a cell phone. That would've helped.

He forced his eyes closed. Cherubimon-sama had said to rest, so that was what he would do, even if he only got a few moments before having to go. His gratitude was almost as hard to contain as his eagerness.

Coming in at a close third was his rising anger, centered on Kouji. Eating candy. Not even regular food, because a meal would've made sense. He ate here too, after all. But _cotton candy_. And just hanging out with other people as if they meant as much to him as his _brother_.

Not even just other people, but _those_ other people, the ones that Kouji avoided before. Why? Why was he doing that? It didn't make sense.

Part of Kouichi had hoped that Kouji would still be there just so he could ask that. He hadn't been surprised to find out otherwise, but he'd hoped anyway. He wanted answers to so many questions and nothing he could think of would give those answers.

_But I'll find him, sooner or later._ He didn't doubt that. Cherubimon-sama had indicated that he would arrange this, though he hadn't come out and said it. It only made sense, since he wanted Kouichi to be one of his Warriors and that meant fighting Kouji and the others.

Kouichi thought he didn't mind that idea as much as he would have. For one thing, Kouji didn't know what was really going on. Ophanimon kept pulling their strings and not giving them any information, unless she'd changed from that handful of times he'd heard her voice coming from Kouji's D-Scan. Cherubimon answered all of Kouichi's questions, at least the ones that he knew the answers to in the first place.

Movement at the door caught his attention and he looked up. As he expected, Mercuremon stood there. He said nothing, only made a brief gesture. Kouichi swung himself to his feet and brushed himself off.

"You're very favored by Cherubimon-sama," Mercuremon said as they started down the hallway. "I hope that you make it worth his while sooner or later."

Kouichi twisted his lips into a smile. He thought it was a smile, anyway. It felt a little like one to him. Mercuremon didn't seem to find it horrifying.

Maybe he'd have to work on that a little. The idea of scaring Mercuremon just by smiling at him amused him.

"Of course I will." He'd _kind of_ made his mind up on that score already. He just didn't want to tell Cherubimon-sama just yet. But he thought the Great Angel might know anyway. He _was_ an angel, after all.

Mercuremon guided him out and after that the trip became a little blurry. Traveling the way that Digimon did wasn't something he'd get used to any time soon, Kouichi thought.

There were moments when his eyes were drawn to the shadows and he wondered what it would be like if he could move through them. Could that even be done? Was that something that the Warrior of Darkness could do at all?

He'd find out. But first and foremost, he wanted to see what these television trees could show him.

**To Be Continued**


	27. Visions and Goals

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing involved in this story unless I invented it myself. This is written for fun, not for profit. All forms of feedback eagerly accepted. Concrit is loved the most, but everything is welcome.  
**Fandom:** Digimon Frontier  
**Title:** Eyes of Light: Chapter 27: Visions and Goals  
**Character:** Minamoto Kouji, Kimura Kouichi  
**Word Count:** chapter: 2,058||story: 59,056  
**Genre:** Adventure, Friendship||**Rated:** PG-13  
**Challenge:** Diversity Challenge, section L, #13: a multichap that is a series or season rewrite; Random Character Is Your Hero Challenge; &amp; what-If: What if the twins' mother died before Kouichi met Kouji? &amp; What if Kouji was the one searching for Kouichi?  
**Notes:** I don't know if this will have Kouji x Kouichi in it yet or not. The story will tell me in due time. This is going to be a rewrite of Digimon Frontier and it will _mostly_ follow the course of canon, but through Kouji's eyes. Some events will turn out differently, for various reasons, ranging from the type of what-ifs I chose as the basis for this to something I think should've happened differently.  
**Summary:** Kouji didn't expect a lot of things. He didn't expect to find out his mother had died. Or that he had a twin brother. Or that he was being called to a new world to fight in a war. Or that said twin brother would get on the train with him. And that was just the beginning.

* * *

The more time Mercuremon spent around Kouichi, the more he wanted to snap the human's neck and be done with it. He couldn't imagine why Cherubimon-sama would want him in the first place. Yes, having the Spirits of Darkness with a genuine warrior to fill them, or be filled by them, would be of great use. But _this_ human? This one who just struck every nerve that Mercuremon had and a few that he'd never dreamed that he had?

He couldn't deny that he looked forward to seeing if Kouichi could use those spirits, just to see how they could fight against one another. A sparring session would be just the thing. It wasn't as if any of the others came up to his standards anyway. Powerful they may be, but when it came to tactics and strategy, Mercuremon knew he was in a class by himself.

Nor did he want to be outclassed, but that was another point altogether.

He'd already set several plans in motion, slow and methodical and he knew that not all of them would end up being used. He did not care. What he wanted was the eventual result of him being the most powerful being in the entire Digital World, not whether or not any given plan made him that way.

But until he could make more headway on those, he was stuck escorting a human around as if he were little more than an errand runner. He wondered, truly, if Cherubimon had some idea of his plans and did this just to irritate him. It wasn't a question he could ask his lord,, unfortunately, and one he wasn't certain if he wanted the answer to.

Instead, he did as he was told and took Kouichi to the grove where the trees reflected images of the human world. On a small level he found himself just a little curious as to what would be seen there. He cared nothing for whatever the proto-Warrior of Darkness wanted there. He'd never been himself and he wanted to know what it was like.

Mercuremon hadn't made up his mind on if he wanted to find a way to conquer Earth as well, but if he did, he wanted to know if it was worth it to even try. All he had to go on right now were his brief interactions with the humans who'd come to the Digital World, and they were only children. He wanted to know what the world itself was like.

There were remains of the other Warriors who'd been there as they arrived, unfolding from the space he used to travel through. What had been a fire, a small stack of what looked to be meat apples, and scattered footprints all over. Mercuremon frowned; there were also signs of a fight of some kind.

_Perhaps someone attacked them._ It would make sense. Cherubimon-sama's influence stretched far and wide and almost any Digimon could be prey to it. There weren't any signs of any other Digimon there now, though.

Kouichi moved toward the trees, ignoring everything else around him. Mercuremon said nothing but chose a tree and gazed into it, waiting for the clouds to hide the moons and reveal whatever it was that he would see.

* * *

Kouichi paid little attention to the remains of everyone else's stay there. He glanced up at the sky; the clouds drifted to and fro, but not yet in front of the moons. He fidgeted; how long was this going to take?

He wanted to see Earth. He wanted to see if he could see his father and… he didn't know if he could call her his stepmother. He didn't know her. He remembered her name but he didn't really _know her_. They'd never met.

Part of him hated her anyway. How could Kouji accept her in the slightest after what happened to _their_ mother? He couldn't understand that. He wanted to shake answers out of Kouji.

He wanted to do a lot of things to Kouji, and more and more of those things involved hurting him to some degree. Not all that long ago, he knew that he would never have even considered them. Spending time with Cherubimon and learning what he had gave him new thoughts on the matter.

Kouji wouldn't like those thoughts at all. But with each passing hour, Kouichi cared less and less about what Kouji would like. Kouji didn't seem to care what _he_ liked. He didn't seem even remotely interested in finding Kouichi anymore.

That was something else he wanted to shake out of his twin: answers on why he didn't care. Had he ever cared? Or had he just pretended to until Kouichi wasn't there anymore to drag him down.

For a brief moment, his eyes narrowed and a pulse of pain shot through his head. That wasn't...entirely true, was it? Kouji wouldn't lie like that? Would he?

He shook the confusion off. He didn't know Kouji that well, no matter how much his instincts wanted to tell him otherwise. Being twins just meant they looked like each other, not that they _were_ each other. So while _he_ wouldn't have lied to someone like that, it didn't stand that Kouji wouldn't.

Moonlight around him faded without warning. A quick look up showed that the clouds had finally begun to close in over the moons. He jerked his head to the nearest of the trees and waited, trembling.

For a few moments, it seemed as if nothing would happen. Then, a portion of each tree's trunk began to glow, just like a television screen. The one that he, his mother, and grandmother had owned hadn't been much bigger than what he saw now, sending a sharp pang of familiarity all through him.

The scenes that he could see weren't familiar ones at all. People and places that meant nothing to him. He moved through them, searching, trying to remember which one he'd seen Kouji looking at, the one that showed the Minamoto family.

He stopped in his tracks when he saw something else altogether. Not his father at all, but an old woman, resting quietly in a chair, a thick book in her lap. Kouichi stared, his throat dry and cracked suddenly.

_Grandma?_ He hadn't thought about her in… in ages. He'd been so fascinated by being in this world and everything to do with it, having met Kouji, learning about him, meeting new Digimon, wondering about Spirits, and everything else...she hadn't crossed his mind at all.

She wasn't asleep. Her eyes, only a little dimmed by age, focused on the book. He'd seen it before; it held pictures of the Kimura family for generations back. He was in it too, though not as a baby. He'd asked about that once, a couple of years earlier.

"I had pictures of you once, Kouichi," his mother had told him then, with a long and deep sigh. "But I lost them when your father and I divorced."

He'd always known about his father. His mother hadn't ever mentioned Kouji to him. She hadn't even properly explained how she 'lost' them. At times he'd thought she just meant they'd been misplaced when she'd moved into her own apartment with him. Other times he wondered if his father had kept them, to remember the son he might never see again.

She'd never given him a clear answer on that. He didn't know if his grandmother would, or could. Now wasn't a time when he could ask her, either.

He peered again, drinking in the sight of the only blood relative he knew for certain actually cared about him. He wanted to think of how long he'd been here. Was it the same time on Earth? Had his grandmother missed him?

Kouichi hated having questions unanswered. More than that, he hated it when they couldn't be answered at all. Too many times he'd wanted to know something and his mother or grandmother diverted him or told him that they couldn't tell him for any number of reasons.

He knew more of that now, but it didn't make his frustration any less.

Light began to slide through the grove again and the images faded away. Kouichi stared at the tree he'd been looking into, growing paler by the minute.

"No… bring her back. I want her _back_!"

For the life of him, he didn't know if he meant his grandmother or his mother. He wondered, even as he pounded his fist on the tree trunk which resolutely ignored him, if it even mattered which one he meant. He wasn't going to get either of them back. One couldn't raise the dead and he couldn't go back to Earth, not until all of this was somehow settled.

_So it has to be settled._ All right. He could do that. He could help, anyway. He'd made up his mind already, he knew. He'd just delayed and ducked around admitting it, and the sooner he stopped that, the better.

He would be Cherubimon-sama's Warrior of Darkness. And he would fight his brother, no matter the cost to himself.

* * *

Kouji kept looking at his D-Scan as if he expected it to say something else to him. But everything remained just as it had since the dark hours of the night when the voice spoke once more, reminding him of his quest to find the Spirits.

The only reason he hadn't shouted at the top of his lungs, demanding more information about where Kouichi was, was because he didn't want the others to know how upset he really was about this. They knew that his goal was to find Kouichi. He'd never made any kind of secret about that. He didn't think that he could have if he'd even wanted to. His business wasn't anyone else's, but this was _Kouichi_.

They'd want to help. That was at least of the problem. They would want to help, and he didn't want their help. Mercuremon, Ranamon, Arbormon, and Grottomon would eat them alive. He hadn't even _known_ about Gigasmon before this, and the four evil warriors had still tromped him like he was little more than a minor inconvenience.

The others would suffer even more, whether or not they had Spirits, he knew. He wasn't the greatest fighter that had ever been, but they were even worse than he was. Being evolved gave them some skills but not the experience, not the edge that meant they were fighters at all. It was an edge that their enemies all had. It was an edge that _he_ had.

And despite the fact that they had Spirits, Kouji didn't want them to get hurt. Not for something that was his problem and not theirs.

So he'd left. Only a simple message to let them know he hadn't been kidnapped or anything and that was it. If he hadn't, they would've likely panicked and done something really stupid. In the time that he'd known him, he'd seen Takuya do a lot of stupid things. This wouldn't be any different.

_If I know them, they're going to try to follow me anyway._ That ranked under the stupid things Takuya would try to do. So he'd just have to make sure they couldn't. Granted, he had zero idea on how to do that, _especially_ since he knew he was already being followed.

No matter how stealthy they thought they were – and he really hoped that they didn't think they were at all – he'd known Bokomon and Neemon were there almost from the beginning. Neemon's voice was almost impossible to miss, along with Bokomon being annoyed by him.

Telling them to leave wouldn't accomplish anything. He hoped they would, but some hopes would never be fulfilled. Bokomon was far too stubborn in his determination to learn everything that he could about the Spirits. He didn't know what to call Neemon, except attached to Bokomon.

At least they hadn't woken up everyone else and dragged them along. That would've made everything that much worse.

But as it was, his first goal right now was just to find the Beast Spirit of Light. What he did after that would be the same thing he'd been trying to do all along: find and rescue Kouichi. Maybe then they could forge their way to the answers about themselves that they both still wanted.

**To Be Continued**


	28. Light Searches

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing involved in this story unless I invented it myself. This is written for fun, not for profit. All forms of feedback eagerly accepted. Concrit is loved the most, but everything is welcome.  
**Fandom:** Digimon Frontier  
**Title:** Eyes of Light: Chapter 28: Light Searches  
**Character:** Minamoto Kouji, Kimura Kouichi  
**Word Count:** chapter: 2,192||story: 61,248  
**Genre:** Adventure, Friendship||**Rated:** PG-13  
**Challenge:** Diversity Challenge, section L, #13: a multichap that is a series or season rewrite; Random Character Is Your Hero Challenge; &amp; what-If: What if the twins' mother died before Kouichi met Kouji? &amp; What if Kouji was the one searching for Kouichi?  
**Notes:** I don't know if this will have Kouji x Kouichi in it yet or not. The story will tell me in due time. This is going to be a rewrite of Digimon Frontier and it will _mostly_ follow the course of canon, but through Kouji's eyes. Some events will turn out differently, for various reasons, ranging from the type of what-ifs I chose as the basis for this to something I think should've happened differently.  
**Summary:** Kouji didn't expect a lot of things. He didn't expect to find out his mother had died. Or that he had a twin brother. Or that he was being called to a new world to fight in a war. Or that said twin brother would get on the train with him. And that was just the beginning.

* * *

_Let's recap. I started to look for my Beast Spirit. I met a Gotsumon who kind of reminds me of me. Then Grottomon showed up and knocked me around, because he's looking for the Spirit too. Don't know why, it's not like he could use it. I think. I don't know._ Kouji drew in a stuttering breath, fingers flexing on the ground underneath him. _And I hate every moment of this._

Well, the looking for a Spirit and meeting Gotsumon wasn't all that bad, and at least he thought Bokomon and Neemon weren't in any trouble. But being hit by Grottomon's weapons over and over and being nearly knocked out for who knew how long and having to have Gotsumon cover him just to make sure they both made it through in one piece? Yeah, that part he really didn't like.

He _needed_ to find that Beast Spirit. Without it, Gigasmon would just keep handing him – and the others – their rear ends on a platter every single time. Just that one Earthquake attack had put him down for the count for a good five or ten minutes. If Gotsumon hadn't been there…

Wolfmon tried not to think about that too much. He needed to get himself put back together and figure out what to do next.

"Hey!" Gotsumon nudged him carefully. "Hey, can you get up?" He glanced quickly above them and nudged Wolfmon again. "If you can, we've got to get out of here."

Wolfmon shook his head, but more to clear it than to deny that he couldn't get to his feet. He wasn't at his best, but he was capable of that, at least.

He followed Gotsumon to a small cleft in the rocks. The stone Digimon glanced back at him. "You should turn back into a human," he suggested. "I don't think you can fit in here if you don't."

A quick look at the opening told him that was more than likely true. Transforming back only took a breath, but during that breath, Bokomon and Neemon joined them, staring worriedly at him. He barely gave the two of them a nod before following Gotsumon to whatever lay beyond that gap.

What lay beyond that gap turned out to be a collection of other Gotsumon. The one that he'd met settled Kouji at what looked like a small table, providing cups of cold water for all three of them. The other Gotsumon didn't say anything, but kept peeking out of tiny openings, keeping an eye out for Grottomon.

Somehow, finding out that 'their' Gotsumon wanted to find one of the Legendary Spirits wasn't that surprising. Kouji had no idea on if that could even happen, but whether it could or not he admired Gotsumon's dedication to his goal.

"He just can't work in a team!" One of the other Gotsumon declared as the one in search of a Spirit hurried out of the hideaway. Kouji sagged back against the wall, trying hard not to laugh. It wouldn't have been a funny laugh if he had.

_He really is like me. I bet if he found the Spirit, it would accept him._

But regardless, Grottomon still roamed around out there, and he wasn't an easy being to fight. If nothing else, someone should probably distract him so Gotsumon didn't get broken down into a pile of pebbles.

_And I'm probably the only one around who can do it._ Knowing the other four, they'd turn up sooner or later. He wanted to protect them; he didn't think they'd pay any attention to his logic on the matter. Which meant they'd probably run into Grottomon too. And get beaten. Again.

All of which boiled down to one thing: he needed to find the Beast Spirit and he needed to do it soon.

"Open the door," he told the Gotsumon, all of whom turned to stare at him as if they hadn't heard something so foolish since the last time someone told them to open it. "I'm going out there."

* * *

It didn't take long to find the cape where Gotsumon was busy searching for something or other. Kouji didn't pay much attention to him but focused on the large statues instead. He pulled his D-Scan out and stared down at it. Usually if there was a Spirit of some kind in the area, it would beep.

Now, it didn't. Now it lay inert in his hand. If there was a Spirit, then it wasn't reacting and he had no idea of why.

Underneath his feet the earth shook without warning and Kouji's head snapped up. Part of him hoped, expected, _ached_ to see some sign of Kouichi. No matter how often they crossed paths, Grottomon refused to give a single breath more of information, and Kouji wondered if he even had any to give.

"He's back?" Kouji muttered, glaring in the direction he could hear the sounds of battle coming from. Well, whether or not Grottomon could or would tell him anything about Kouichi, he wasn't going to stand around and do nothing. This was part of why he'd come out here in the first place.

Time to fight again.

* * *

Fairymon beat her wings faster, trying to recover from Gigasmon's hit, and work herself around enough for another attack. She couldn't entirely convince herself that she could; he'd hit her hard, and Chakmon didn't look as if he were in any better shape.

For that matter, Chakmon hung in the air, data swirls around him, and she could see his Spirit hanging there!

_Gigasmon is going to try to take it!_ She knew exactly what he was up to and she wouldn't let it happen. Orienting herself, she buzzed forward, slamming herself into Gigasmon with all of her strength.

It didn't do nearly as much as she'd hoped. Being the Warrior of Wind gave her huge amounts of speed and not nearly as much mass as Gigasmon had. But it knocked him just enough off course so that Chakmon wasn't in any danger anymore. At least not much more than any of them were from being in this fight in the first place.

She didn't dare let herself get caught, either. If he hit her again, he might have a chance to take her own Spirit. The problem with that was that her up close attacks were her strongest ones, which ran the risk of exactly what she didn't want to do in the first place.

_I don't care. I'll do it anyway._ The thought passed through her mind in less time than it took to breathe and she dove back toward Gigasmon with all speed. "Roseo Temporale!" Over and over she plowed her legs into his side, his face, and his legs, pushing him back and away from the others. Gigasmon hardly looked as if she were bothering him, but he moved back all the same.

At least for a few moments, until he slammed one rock-solid fist outward and knocked her out of the skies. Fairymon spun downward, almost certain she could see her data spinning around her once more, and Gigasmon was coming toward her, reaching…

"I'll take that Spirit!"

So close, so close, _too close_!

"Thor Hammer!" From above Gigasmon came a blaze of thunder held in between two blue-armored fists. He squalled in rage, spinning away from Fairymon as Blitzmon came down to stand over her. "Fairymon? Are you all right?"

The Warrior of Wind slowly sat up, realizing that she'd hit the ground without even knowing it. She sat the end of a long furrow, her armor covered in dirt, and her head pounding. "Yeah. I'm all right." She smiled at him. "Thanks, Blitzmon."

"Oh, uh… yeah." It wasn't often that a Legendary Warrior blushed, but Blitzmon pulled it off.

Chakmon and Agnimon joined in as Fairymon got back to her feet, wings buzzing as she brushed herself off. "Are we ready to finish this guy?" Agnimon wanted to know.

"Let's do it!" Blitzmon declared. The two of them surged forward, their strongest attacks ready.

Those attacks never ended up being delivered, since Gigasmon Slide Evolved to Grottomon and slammed each of his hammers into Agnimon and Blitzmon with all of his strength. Both of them fell, data spinning around them, and the evil Warrior let out a deep laugh.

"I can get these, at least!"

Before he'd made another move, light rained down from above, in more than one sense. Wolfmon blasted his Licht Kugel attack, shimmering beams of light that knocked Grottomon back enough so that Blitzmon and Agnimon had time to recover themselves.

Wolfmon picked Grottomon up by his throat and glared down at him. Those watching would've easily wagered that if it would've done any good, he might well have torn Grottomon apart in that moment.

"I thought you wanted _my_ Spirit, too?" The Warrior of Light sneered. Grottomon wriggled around, freeing his arms so he could summon his mallets yet again.

"You're right, I do!" He'd scarcely spoken the words before he slammed the mallets against Wolfmon's head. Wolfmon stumbled only a little, but didn't drop his opponent. Instead, he brought up one foot.

"I think we need to end this!" Now he dropped Grottomon, and in the moment where the other wondered what was going on, he slammed that raised foot into Grottomon's bulbous nose with every ounce of strength he could.

Both of them fell back from that hit, but Wolfmon recovered first, leaping back and racing through the tall grass. Grottomon slid back to Gigasmon, racing after his enemy as quickly as he could.

Fairymon darted over to where Blitzmon and Agnimon were just starting to get back on their feet. "We need to hurry! Wolfmon's fighting him alone!"

For a few brief seconds all the four of them could do was stare in the direction Wolfmon and Gigasmon ran off in. Agnimon groaned something under his breath that none of them really wanted to hear any clearer, then he pulled himself to his feet.

"Come on. He might need our help. Even if he doesn't want to admit it."

* * *

_I could really use some help right now._ Wolfmon gasped as Gigasmon's Hurricane Bomber hit him dead in the back. He slammed into the side of one of those statues, managing just barely to turn so that he could face Gigasmon as the other stalked closer. At the same time he could see his own data surrounding him.

Not good. He couldn't let Gigasmon take his Spirit. That was the only thing that allowed him to keep searching for Kouichi. But he couldn't move, not just yet, and Gigasmon kept coming closer.

"Angry Rock!" From somewhere, he had no idea of where, Gotsumon appeared, throwing himself in between them for the second time today. This time, however, he wasn't just hiding Wolfmon. He fought. The sphere of rocks surrounded him, keeping Gigasmon at bay for a few precious seconds.

And in those seconds, Wolfmon saw his armor fade away, and Kouji had just enough time to focus himself before something fell into his hands, tossed by Gotsumon. It kind of resembled a sort of longish gemstone, but Kouji didn't have time to debate on just what it was.

"Put… put that in the statue's eye!" Gotsumon cried out, voice straining as he held Gigasmon back. "It's said that when all three eyes shine, the soul of the Legendary Warrior will be reborn!"

Kouji repeated the words with a rising sense of wonder. Could it be? Could it really be?

Gigasmon freed enough of one arm to slam Gotsumon hard, the rock Digimon arching backward in pain. Kouji's eyes widened in shock as his enemy beat harder on the young one.

On someone who was so like Kouji himself. Who had trusted him with this treasure that he'd spent so long looking for, that could reveal something Gotsumon wanted as much as Kouji did.

Kouji saw a strand of moss hanging from above him and reached up to grab it. If Gotsumon could keep Gigasmon distracted long enough so that he could do it…

_I have to trust him._ Trust came very hard for Kouji. But what other choice did he have right now? He wrapped the moss around his arm and shoved himself to the side, reaching for the empty eye socket of the statue. _Just glad I hit the one that has the hole and not one of the others._

There! He could hear Gotsumon's cries of pain as Gigasmon beat him harder as he slid the gemstone eye into the opening. All three statues shook and wiggled, and Kouji found himself sliding downward, unable to keep a grip on the statue any longer.

The light grew too bright even for him to see through, and Kouji wondered if somehow something had gone wrong. The ground shook too much for him to keep on his feet. His D-Scan thrummed in a way that it never had before. He thought he heard some kind of cry of pain, but whose it was, he didn't know.

And he didn't know anything else for what seemed like a long time.

**To Be Continued**

**Note:** Kouji is my main character, but there's no way I'm letting Izumi be useless. She's as much a Legendary Warrior as the others are.


	29. Garmmon

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing involved in this story unless I invented it myself. This is written for fun, not for profit. All forms of feedback eagerly accepted. Concrit is loved the most, but everything is welcome.  
**Fandom:** Digimon Frontier  
**Title:** Eyes of Light: Chapter 29: Garmmon  
**Character:** Minamoto Kouji, Kimura Kouichi  
**Word Count:** chapter: 2,112||story: 63,360  
**Genre:** Adventure, Friendship||**Rated:** PG-13  
**Challenge:** Diversity Challenge, section L, #13: a multichap that is a series or season rewrite; Random Character Is Your Hero Challenge; &amp; what-If: What if the twins' mother died before Kouichi met Kouji? &amp; What if Kouji was the one searching for Kouichi?  
**Notes:** I don't know if this will have Kouji x Kouichi in it yet or not. The story will tell me in due time. This is going to be a rewrite of Digimon Frontier and it will _mostly_ follow the course of canon, but through Kouji's eyes. Some events will turn out differently, for various reasons, ranging from the type of what-ifs I chose as the basis for this to something I think should've happened differently.  
**Summary:** Kouji didn't expect a lot of things. He didn't expect to find out his mother had died. Or that he had a twin brother. Or that he was being called to a new world to fight in a war. Or that said twin brother would get on the train with him. And that was just the beginning.

* * *

Garmmon awoke.

He didn't know how long he'd been asleep, only that now he wasn't anymore and he wanted to do something.

He wanted to fight.

That didn't surprise him. It wouldn't have surprised anyone who knew him, because Garmmon _always_ wanted to fight, wanted to test himself, to get stronger and be stronger.

He could feel another presence, something else connected to the Spirit of Light, there, but not entirely awake. Nor was it asleep.

He. He wasn't asleep.

Wolfmon. That was who it was. Garmmon growled low, but his other half did not respond. Annoying, that was.

But he could work that out another time. Now he wanted to run and fight and make certain that everything around him, that his _pack_ was safe.

There was pack there. The knowledge throbbed in his veins and coursed through his mind. Not all of the pack. An important part was gone.

His brother. His brother was gone.

_Kouichi?_

He didn't know the name. But another word supplied itself and that word he knew quite well.

_Darkness_.

The Spirit of Darkness wasn't there and it should've been. Light and Darkness needed to be near one another, the eternal balance kept.

Gone. Not there. Not where Garmmon could find him.

Wrong. So very wrong.

He threw his head back and howled to the uncaring skies above. This was not right and it would have to be set right. But he didn't know how, not yet.

He'd slept a long time. He needed to know what the world was like now. Wolfmon could tell him; Wolfmon would know. But Wolfmon wasn't talking to him.

And there was another presence as well, one that struggled and wiggled and Garmmon ignored it, choosing instead to course forward on gleaming wheels, searching for answers that would not come.

Garmmon ignored it, but the presence still remained, calling out to him. It held no words in the call, but Garmmon found it interesting that he could even hear it. He seldom paid attention to anything that wasn't of the Light or an enemy.

Was this an enemy?

He turned his attention toward it, just a fraction, while most of his awareness remained in control, exulting in his rebirth. There was an enemy there to be fought, though another part of him thought something else was wrong here.

Garmmon didn't like being torn in between things. He was the wolf. He tore other things, they did not tear him.

And yet he was torn all the same. An enemy that did not seem right as an enemy. A small, flicking presence that he did not think was an enemy and yet he couldn't tell if it was of the Light or not. Wolfmon's presence and his silence.

This was not right. Something had to be done to fix all of this.

_Garmmon._ It was not a voice he knew. But he'd heard it once before, a flicker of a breath, the groan of a name, the awareness of a thought. This was the voice that spoke of _Kouichi_, whoever that was, the name that echoed in his mind with that of Darkness.

He took a better look at the strange presence. It looked somewhat like a human-type spirit would, with two legs, two arms, and all the rest. It also looked as if it had been through a dozen battles against opponents that outclassed it every time, and yet somehow it still survived.

More than survived, it was ready to fight again. While it didn't look completely steady on its feet, it still held its head up high.

Light. This being glowed with the power of the Spirit of Light. Wolfmon's power.

Garmmon's power.

Tiny slots of information fitted themselves into Garmmon's mind. All of the Legendary Warriors required some form of assistance to exist now, lending their powers to someone else, to fight against whatever evil presented itself.

Was this the one chosen by the Spirit of Light? It – he – had all the courage and determination that Garmmon knew he and Wolfmon possessed.

Yes. This was the Warrior of Light. The _new_ Warrior of Light, the one that would use this power to protect others.

Garmmon breathed in, learning this scent and making it part of himself. With that scent came more information: Minamoto Kouji. That was who this one was. A human, from a world of humans. He'd heard of them before, beings that weren't Digimon but were like them in some ways.

This Kouji burned with strength. He'd fought hard and been hurt and he didn't expect the pain to end any time soon. But he wasn't going to give up. He searched for someone and that search was what sustained him.

He had a pack, as well. Not just the one that he searched for, not just that Kouichi, but some of the other Legendary Warriors. Fire and Ice, Thunder and Wind.

It was Earth they battled now. Earth who stood against them and who did not seem to know that they should stand together.

Something was not right in the world. All that Kouji knew of the matter was that Cherubimon was involved. Garmmon could not find out more.

All he could do was lend Kouji his strength. Kouji, and the others, would have to find out the rest of it for themselves. And if Kouji could not tame that strength and learn to master it, then there was nothing else that Garmmon could do for him.

Again he howled, and without realizing it, Kouji howled with him. Their spirits entwined around one another and Garmmon could feel Kouji's strength even more. This was steel that would put the Warrior of Steel to shame, a grounding that would make Earth sit up and take notice.

But they did not fully mesh. Not yet. Kouji was young, little more than a cub, despite the strength that filled his limbs. It would take time for him to learn what to do and how he could do it. Garmmon would have to fight for him, at least for the moment.

Yet doing so wasn't easy, no matter how much they wanted it. They could not mesh any further than they had. Even keeping on their feet wasn't an easy task. He found himself swirling this way and that, slamming into trees and rocks.

Earth moved closer. Garmmon could feel it, hear him snapping something about taking the Beast Spirit.

As if Garmmon could be taken.

They moved together a little easier this time. Not much, but enough to lope toward the enemy, ready to do battle. Garmmon could feel Kouji's eagerness; the boy disliked the Warrior of Earth? Not so much as he did the Warrior of Metal, it seemed, but the memory of past battles flickered, just where Garmmon could not see details, but knew they were there regardless. He didn't know if he would have time to learn more. The battle of now called for more attention.

Earth and Light crashed into one another, sending up spirals of dirt and beams of blazing light that tore against each other. Cries came from those who'd watched the battle, Kouji's pack and others as well.

The ground beneath them shattered and Garmmon could no longer find a place to rest his paws. He scrambled for help, for support, only to find nothing.

At the last moment, when he knew that he would fall into the deep ocean below, one paw rested on solid ground. He trembled; this was not right. He needed all four paws beneath him. He wanted to continue the fight, but Gigasmon vanished, swearing he'd take their Spirits.

Garmmon could not at all remember having been so drained from a fight. Was it because of how long he'd slept? How new he was to just lending his strength to someone else? The fact that the being he lent it to was a human? All of those?

But he needed to rest now. There would be more chances to fight and he and Kouji could learn to fight together. The boy had done so with Wolfmon, though Human-Spirits and humans had enough in common to make it that much easier for them.

Garmmon released his hold on the boy's body. He hadn't even properly realized until now that he had one in the first place. Let the child rest, he decided, and they would finish this another time.

* * *

Kouji wanted to sleep. He wanted to close his eyes and not wake up again for _weeks_, if at all. He'd never felt this completely beaten, not even after the fight when he lost Kouichi. And this was supposedly a fight that he'd won. He thought. He couldn't be certain.

Everything in his mind from the moment he'd set the gemstone in the statue's eye … there _wasn't_ anything in his mind from that moment. Only a sense of light, much like with Wolfmon, only deeper, stronger, wilder, untamed and untameable.

"Did I..." he murmured, only half-aware even now of what was going on around him, "obtain the Beast-Spirit?" He must have. He almost, but not quite, remembered what had happened.

Maybe it didn't matter. He didn't know if he was strong enough to use it, even if he had. Or if he could rescue Kouichi. He just needed to rest so much…

He fell backwards. The ocean stretched wide beneath him but he didn't care. Maybe he could rest there.

A stone hand seized his wrist before he fell very far and he cracked his eyes open to see Gotsumon there. Oh. Yes. Now he remembered. Gotsumon had tried for the Spirit himself.

"You got it," the rock Digimon agreed. "The Spirit that I wanted." One corner of his mouth quirked upward. "I let you have it, so I want you to take good care of it, all right?"

_Yeah._ Kouji recalled something else that he'd thought when he'd first met Gotsumon. _We're a lot alike._

Slowly, painfully, he nodded. He'd do that for Gotsumon.

Soon enough he found himself safe on the ledge, with Takuya and the others staring at him, as well as Gotsumon's friends. They would probably have to find another place to live now that this area was trashed.

He worked to catch his breath, slowly staggering to his feet once he could do so. He kind of wished there had been a few trees or upright rocks closer to where they were now, so he had something to lean on. He wasn't certain if he could stay upright just yet. But he did his best.

"Everyone all right?" Takuya asked, glancing from one of them to the other. Receiving affirmative nods, he turned back toward Kouji. "What about you?" He sounded a lot more worried than he should, at least so far as Kouji cared.

"I'm fine." Kouji shook off the concern, but his stomach had something else to add, speaking out in the deepest, loudest growl he thought he'd heard since coming to this world at all.

Gotsumon shook his head and rolled his eyes. "I bet you haven't eaten all day, have you? Too busy trying to be a hero."

Light snickers came from both Tomoki and Izumi and Kouji ignored them. "I've been busy." He wasn't even certain what time it was. He'd left their camp in the video tree grove before dawn and he thought it might be past noon now.

"I think we have enough so everyone can have lunch, but then we need to start out of here," Gotsumon said, looking at his friends. "This place won't be safe. If Grottomon doesn't come around looking for the rest of the code, then someone else will. And the Warriors can't stay here forever."

Kouji saw the sense in that, as much as he really didn't want to. More to the point, his stomach saw the sense in that, and he decided paying attention to that was more important than anything else at the moment.

Well, there was one other thing. He looked over at Takuya. "Why did you come after me?" They should've tried another route or at least not rushed off the way they had to have, to have caught up with him so fast.

Takuya just rolled his own eyes. "Because, idiot. We're your friends. If you're going off to get yourself into trouble, we're going to come with you. That's what friends _do_."

Friends. Huh. Kouji hadn't made up his mind on if he liked that or not, but just like Gotsumon and dinner, he was starting to think that maybe he didn't have to like it.

Maybe he just had to accept it.

**To Be Continued**


	30. Darkness Awakened

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing involved in this story unless I invented it myself. This is written for fun, not for profit. All forms of feedback eagerly accepted. Concrit is loved the most, but everything is welcome.  
**Fandom:** Digimon Frontier  
**Title:** Eyes of Light: Chapter 30: Darkness Awakened  
**Character:** Minamoto Kouji, Kimura Kouichi  
**Word Count:** chapter: 2,168||story: 65,528  
**Genre:** Adventure, Friendship||**Rated:** PG-13  
**Challenge:** Diversity Challenge, section L, #13: a multichap that is a series or season rewrite; Random Character Is Your Hero Challenge; &amp; what-If: What if the twins' mother died before Kouichi met Kouji? &amp; What if Kouji was the one searching for Kouichi?  
**Notes:** I don't know if this will have Kouji x Kouichi in it yet or not. The story will tell me in due time. This is going to be a rewrite of Digimon Frontier and it will _mostly_ follow the course of canon, but through Kouji's eyes. Some events will turn out differently, for various reasons, ranging from the type of what-ifs I chose as the basis for this to something I think should've happened differently.  
**Summary:** Kouji didn't expect a lot of things. He didn't expect to find out his mother had died. Or that he had a twin brother. Or that he was being called to a new world to fight in a war. Or that said twin brother would get on the train with him. And that was just the beginning.

* * *

"Cherubimon-sama," Kouichi said, bending his head as soon as he entered the chamber. Mercuremon waited, just far enough away to give them privacy, but not so far he wouldn't be able to know when he was needed to guide Kouichi once more. Just as he always was. Kouichi knew the routine by now.

But now he was going to break that routine, to do the one thing that he hadn't done since his arrival here.

"Kouichi." Cherubimon nodded his own greeting. "Did you learn what you wished to on your trip?"

Kouichi settled himself in front of the Great Angel, trying to put everything together. He'd been trying to do that since he'd started back and he still didn't know if he had.

"I think I learned enough," he said at last, lifting his head so he could look the other in the eyes. "And I've made up my mind."

That got Cherubimon to bend forward just a little, a smile teasing the corners of his lips. "You have?"

"I have." Kouichi breathed a long breath. "I'll do it. I'll be your Warrior of Darkness."

Cherubimon's smile grew even wider. "I had hoped that you would. I have been waiting for this moment."

He held his hands together and in between them there appeared a strange dark form, one that reminded Kouichi vaguely of when Kouji had achieved his Spirit. Instead of being brilliant white and blue, this one gleamed with all the shadows of the night, and several eyes situated in multiple places. Something about it sent a shiver down Kouichi's spine, a small sensation that this wasn't right somehow.

_Of course it is. Why wouldn't it be?_ But he still couldn't entirely shake the feeling. He tried to ignore it, wanting to focus only on what he was about to do.

Cherubimon spoke as the Spirit began to float over to him. "You should also be aware that your brother has located his second spirit: the Beast Spirit of Light, Garmmon."

Rage unlike any other ignited within Kouichi's soul. _He's looking for Spirits still? And not for me?_

Something that might've been sense whispered in the depths of his mind, that Kouji could look for both, that finding more Spirits would help to be able to save Kouichi when he was found, but all of that vanished in a rush of fury as the Spirit of Darkness touched his hands.

None of what Kouji might have done mattered. What did matter was what he _had_ done and what he had neglected to do, the ones that he had chosen over his own flesh and blood, the fact that he had never known of Kouichi and never questioned it, never cared, never felt that empty part of him that Kouichi had.

Kouichi had never been fine without Kouji. Kouji had always been fine without him.

And that was _not right_. That was every part of wrong that could be, and Kouichi wasn't going to allow it to happen, ever again. He would teach Kouji what it was to have a brother, and if that lesson ended in blood, pain, and death, then _so be it_.

His transformation wasn't like Kouji's or any of the others. There wasn't any light. There were no swirls of data. Instead, shadows twisted and wrapped around him, filling every inch of him with their raw power. Kouichi threw his head back; the noise that came from his throat sounded equal parts of rage and pain and he didn't know which and he didn't care which, because he wanted both of them.

He couldn't see anything else around him. There was no Cherubimon. No Mercuremon. Nothing and no one else, just the darkness, just the fact that he was alone.

That wasn't surprising. He hung suspended in the shadows, which danced and spun up and down, side to side, back to front, every way that could be imagined. They sank into him and they were him and he was them and why had he waited all this time, because this was _wonderful_, this was everything that he'd ever been meant for and more as well.

Hands closed on his shoulders, hands of armor and darkness, and he looked up into a face that was hell itself, eyes where no eyes should be, and terror beyond all imagining, and he knew that it was his own face that he saw, because it was the face of the Warrior of Darkness, and that was who he was, wasn't it?

Who else could he possibly be? He was … K...K...K…

For a single blinding moment, he had no idea of who he was, other than that one single word ricocheting all throughout his mind.

_Darkness._

Another word joined it, but it wasn't the name that he knew that he'd known only moments earlier. This one was his name just as much as that one had been, perhaps even more so. Yes, more. Because he was more now. He wasn't just the human that he'd been.

He was… Duskmon.

Warrior of Darkness.

_Cherubimon-sama's_ Warrior of Darkness.

The name spun and danced and laughed within him, the laughter echoing like broken glass, shards slicing into him, remaking him from what he'd been into who he had always been meant to be, and if this wasn't what happened to any other Warrior when they'd claimed their first Spirit, then they were wrong, and he didn't care, because this power was all his and he would never, ever give it up for anything or anyone.

Somewhere in the middle of all of the reshaping and remaking, Duskmon realized that he wasn't in the middle of darkness anymore. He lay sprawled out on the floor before Cherubimon-sama, who watched all the proceedings with fascinated eyes.

Slowly, inch by inch, Duskmon moved, lifting himself so that he knelt before his liege lord and master.

"Cherubimon-sama." He tasted the word as if he'd never spoken it before. Perhaps he hadn't. He couldn't remember having properly spoken before at all, but he held the awareness that he had. He could not reconcile the two, so he put them away. It did not matter. Only certain things mattered, and whatever had happened before now wasn't one of those things.

"Welcome, Duskmon." Cherubimon sounded quite pleased, which pleased Duskmon in turn. "How do you feel?"

Duskmon considered the question. Like many things, it wasn't something that he was used to hearing, but since it came from Cherubimon, he considered it important.

"Eager to do your bidding," he said at last. "Where are your enemies?"

"Not just yet," Cherubimon chided ever so gently. "You are freshly awakened. I want you to be at your peak when you strike them down, so that they have no chance to fight back against you. There will be a great deal of training involved so that you have all of your powers sharpened to their finest edge."

Duskmon did not protest. Going against Cherubimon-sama's orders simply wasn't in his mind-set. He bent his head a little lower. "As you wish."

Footsteps came from behind and Duskmon identified them as Mercuremon's right away. He could not recall having met the Warrior of Steel, but he knew him, and the others, regardless.

It was more than a little strange, this awareness of beings that he hadn't met. It didn't stop with the other Warriors that served his master, either. Fire and Thunder were out there, as were Wind and Ice, and…

His fingers clenched. _Light_.

He ached to destroy the Warrior of Light in every possible way. He wanted to bring his blade down, bury it into Wolfmon's heart, and twist it until all the light faded from his eyes. If it hadn't been for Cherubimon-sama's orders, he would've leaped up to do so without a breath of hesitation.

"Mercuremon, call the others here. I wish for you to meet my new Warrior of Darkness." Cherubimon-sama gave the order without even taking his eyes off of Duskmon. Duskmon could not have been prouder.

Yet still the thought of killing the Warrior of Light wove and danced through his mind. He wanted to do it. But there were more ways to extract the vengeance he ached for so much than just simple death.

_He cares for the others._ Part of Duskmon didn't think he should care. But another part, a part that sang a song of unending rage and betrayal, thought it mattered very much and that he should care. Because that meant there was a weakness in the Warrior of Light's _emotional_ armor, and oh, the things that he could do with that.

The awareness of Cherubimon's attention flickered over Duskmon and he lifted his head a little in response.

"Training first, Duskmon," his master reminded him. "You can plan your destruction of our enemies when you've fully mastered your abilities."

Duskmon nodded; he knew that Cherubimon-sama was right, there was no doubt about that. But he still ached to get started on the vengeance that boiled through his blood. He hoped that he could complete his training quickly. He didn't think he could hold himself back for too long.

"Well, _what_ is going on here?" He did not need to look to know that it was Ranamon who spoke. He made no move, but he could not help but wonder if he would be allowed to test his skills against his fellow Warriors.

And if so, if he would be allowed to 'accidentally' damage them.

* * *

Kouji's eyes flew open and he stared up into the star-filled sky, as tense and unrested as he'd been when he'd first laid down to try to get some sleep. He tried to close his eyes again, hoping that this time he'd be able to rest.

No. No matter how he laid there, no part of him would relax enough so he could sleep.

He turned over, hoping to perhaps get a little more comfortable. Resting on a heap of leaves wasn't the best bed ever, but it was what they had, and he knew he had to make do. He'd seldom had that many problems with it before.

It wasn't his injuries that kept him awake. For the most part, those had healed, leaving him with little more than a few twinges here and there. The Gotsumon they'd only recently left behind turned out to have a very competent doctor in their number, who'd taken a look at him, recommended some of the local herbs and fruits to build up his strength and get his healing going faster, and told him his best course of action would be not to get slammed by Grottomon's hammers any more.

Kouji didn't think he could quite promise that, but he knew he'd try.

He stared up into the skies again. He could feel the warmth of their fire not that far away and knew that if he looked, he'd see one of the others on watch. He didn't know which one, not being certain of how far into the night they were. But he didn't try to look, either. He didn't want to stay awake, much less talk.

He'd somewhat been asleep before. But what jolted him back into awareness had been the most powerful sense that something, somewhere was wrong with Kouichi.

_Of course something is wrong with him. He's Cherubimon's prisoner. It can't get more wrong than that, can it?_

He had a very strong feeling that it could and somehow it had. He just didn't know _why_. This time of night, whatever it was, wasn't the time to go waking people up trying to figure it out, either.

But it would probably make for _sparkling_ breakfast conversation.

Kouji bit back a sigh. He didn't want whoever was on watch knowing that he wasn't asleep or thinking that he wanted to talk. He kept on staring upward, watching as the stars moved ever so slightly and the moons danced their strange, three-part dance.

_Whatever is happening to him, it's because of me. Because I couldn't let him go home where he would've been safe. Because he came after me to this world in the first place. Because I wasn't strong enough to protect him._ He knew that he hadn't wanted Kouichi to leave it the first place and he didn't really regret that. He'd hoped they could find a Spirit for him, something so he could defend himself in this world.

All of that had fallen apart and the very thought ate into Kouji more than he dared to let anyone know. He knew at least some of the blame rested with the evil Warriors and Cherubimon, but some of it was his too and he wouldn't deny that.

_I'll find you, Kouichi. No matter what._ Now that he had Garmmon's spirit, that had to help, didn't it? If he could just learn to use it properly…

He'd work on that tomorrow. He thought Grottomon would make a really good sparring partner if he turned up again.

**To Be Continued**


	31. The Dancing Ogre

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing involved in this story unless I invented it myself. This is written for fun, not for profit. All forms of feedback eagerly accepted. Concrit is loved the most, but everything is welcome.  
**Fandom:** Digimon Frontier  
**Title:** Eyes of Light: Chapter 31: The Dancing Ogre  
**Character:** Minamoto Kouji, Kimura Kouichi  
**Word Count:** chapter: 2,159||story: 67,687  
**Genre:** Adventure, Friendship||**Rated:** PG-13  
**Challenge:** Diversity Challenge, section L, #13: a multichap that is a series or season rewrite; Random Character Is Your Hero Challenge; &amp; what-If: What if the twins' mother died before Kouichi met Kouji? &amp; What if Kouji was the one searching for Kouichi?  
**Notes:** I don't know if this will have Kouji x Kouichi in it yet or not. The story will tell me in due time. This is going to be a rewrite of Digimon Frontier and it will _mostly_ follow the course of canon, but through Kouji's eyes. Some events will turn out differently, for various reasons, ranging from the type of what-ifs I chose as the basis for this to something I think should've happened differently.  
**Summary:** Kouji didn't expect a lot of things. He didn't expect to find out his mother had died. Or that he had a twin brother. Or that he was being called to a new world to fight in a war. Or that said twin brother would get on the train with him. And that was just the beginning.

* * *

Of all the places that Kouji would've considered going to get clues on where the closest Beast Spirit might be, a Fortuneteller's Festival would've probably been something like tenth or twelfth on his list, if he'd even thought it worth making the list at all.

"Fortunetellers." He shook his head slowly as they walked down the line of booths, every one of which proclaimed their maintainer the only Digimon in existence who could accurately foretell not only the far-flung future of the world, but what a prospective client had had for breakfast that very morning.

"You shouldn't pay attention to most of these. They're just frauds," Bokomon declared in his most superior voice. Kouji didn't think he actually had a _least_ superior voice. But this one seemed head and shoulders above his normal tones. "One or two of them might be able to see the _very near_ future, but the one we're going to is the _expert_!"

"How much of an expert?" Takuya wanted to know. Kouji could not help but feel just a bit relieved that he didn't sound as convinced as he thought Bokomon wanted them all to be.

"The _most_ expert expert of them all! Shamamon knows everything! We can't go wrong getting his advice!" Bokomon assured them. "We'll know just where the next Beast Spirit is in no time!"

Kouji had to hope that he was right about that. He also hoped that whoever obtained this Spirit had a better chance of controlling it than he was doing with Garmmon.

It wasn't that the Beast Spirit of Light was _uncontrollable_ all by itself. Kouji hadn't ever asked about the others and how they dealt with their Spirits, but he could feel Wolfmon's presence even when he wasn't evolved. The same went for Garmmon now that his spirit resided in Kouji's D-Scan. It wasn't like talking to them, but just a kind of _knowing_ that they were there in the first place.

But while humans and human-type spirits could merge with a minimum of issues, humans and beast-types were a little different. Just the thought of moving on all fours disoriented Kouji, and Garmmon's instincts were far more wolf-like than Wolfmon's. The desire to bite and snap, crunch and howl, all of that filled him the moment that he evolved, and he didn't yet know how to deal with it.

_I'll figure it out._ He knew the mantra so very well by now. He had to. These spirits were what gave him the chance to find Kouichi.

He hadn't forgotten how he'd woken in the night, fully aware that something was very wrong with his twin. He still hadn't figured out what, and Junpei – who, it turned out, had been the one on guard when he woke up – hadn't given any sign that he'd noticed anything odd about Kouji's sleeping pattern. That was good. It meant it was something else he didn't have to worry them with.

They'd help him. He grew more certain of that every day and with every battle they fought. But some things, Kouji still thought he should handle alone.

_I wonder if this Shamamon can tell me anything about Kouichi._ That interested him just a little more than where the Beast Spirits were hiding. Just like they'd found their first spirits, Kouji kind of suspected they'd find the Beast ones sooner or later anyway. Sure, this _might_ be a little faster. Maybe. But their D-Scans generally could tell when one was in the area, unless it was blocked by something.

But Kouichi? That was another story altogether and one that Kouji tried not to think too hard about because doing so meant he couldn't do anything else: such as doing whatever he needed to do to find Kouichi in the first place.

Well, once they got to Shamamon, he'd find out. Once they made their way through apparently every other fortuneteller there. He wondered if Bokomon had ever heard of shortcuts.

This fortuneteller's fair apparently had drawn most of the Digimon in the area to it. He saw quite a few that he recognized by their type, though none of them were ones that he knew personally. There weren't just supposed prophets here, either. From the scent of delicious food in the air, there was some part of the place dedicated to cooking, and he decided that once they were done with the seeing the future thing, it would be time to get something to eat. What the Gotsumon had given them hadn't lasted very long.

"Here we are!" Bokomon declared, gesturing without warning to one of the few solid stone buildings in the area, as opposed to the multicolored tents spread out in every direction. "Shamamon's inside!"

All Kouji could hear from inside was the sound of a large drum being beaten. If that was Shamamon, Kouji wasn't especially impressed by his taste in music. But he continued on inside with the others, curious to see what this was going to be like.

"Shamamon!" Bokomon called out as they entered, the doors closing solemnly behind them. This place reminded Kouji of a few temples that he'd seen, only most of those hadn't had a green-skinned ogre dancing while holding a large club in front of the altar. That one seemed a special feature here.

The rest of the group had an entirely different view of the dancing ogre. "Watch it! We saw ones like him at the Wind Factory!" Takuya declared, tense and cautious. Bokomon waved one hand in annoyance.

"Those weren't Shamamon. Those were Goblimon. That's an entirely different Digimon."

"Are you sure?" Izumi wondered, watching the dancing Digimon worriedly. "They do look a lot alike."

"Have I ever steered you wrong?" Bokomon sniffed, but didn't wait for an answer as he moved forward. "Shamamon! We need your help to find the nearest Beast Spirit! These young humans are fighting Cherubimon and his Evil Warriors and we can't do it without those Spirits!"

Shamamon turned toward them, eyes glinting in the shadows in a way that Kouji wasn't very comfortable with. "I will see what the Spirits tell me!" Shamamon declared, raising his club and beginning to dance again. This time there was something more serious in the way that he rolled and squirmed, the movements matching the drumbeats as they sped up.

Without warning, Shamamon stopped and pointed his club directly at Takuya, then dropped it down to face Tomoki. "You two!" He declared. "You two will soon face the deepest fear of your lives!" He drew a breath as if to go on, then turned back to his altar and started to skip around again, this time without that kind of extra emphasis that he'd had before.

Tomoki and Takuya looked at each other, then back to Shamamon. "Uh, okay, but what does that have to do with finding a Beast Spirit?" Takuya wanted to know. Shamamon paid them no attention but kept on moving around in his ridiculous little dance.

"That's all he's going to say," Bokomon said after a few seconds. "It's not what I was expecting, but he's not going to tell you anything else."

"One question per visit, one visit per year!" Shamamon declared, still not looking at them. "Come back next year and I might tell you something more!"

"Next year we might not even be alive," Kouji muttered. He started to turn away with the others, then looked back, a small thread of hope winding in. "I don't suppose you could tell me something about my brother, could you?"

Shamamon kept on moving instead of talking and Kouji shook his head. _Should've guessed._ He wouldn't have really expected anything else. He would do this on his own or not at all.

"You're wrong there! You won't be able to do it alone!" Shamamon's voice came without warning and Kouji whipped back around. Had he actually heard that?

If he had, Shamamon gave no sign of saying anything else or that he'd even said anything at all. Kouji hesitated only for another few seconds before going out after the others.

_Probably just heard things._

"We should get something to eat," Izumi was saying as he rejoined the others. "I don't know about you guys, but I'm starving and I think I smell meat apples!"

Takuya and Tomoki still kept throwing each other curious, wary glances, but no one thought arguing about getting dinner was a productive use of their time. Junpei and Izumi were in the lead, heading for where the best scents floated over from, when the ground underneath them all shook without warning.

"What's going on?" Tomoki stumbled a little and Takuya reached to help him up.

"I think I know," Kouji muttered, one hand already falling to his D-Scan. When the ground shook, there were two options: an earthquake or Grottomon. And he didn't think they were lucky enough for it to just be an earthquake.

All around them spires of earth jutted up and it took every bit of agility they had to keep themselves from being pierced by them. No one had a chance to evolve, and just to make matters worse, Grottomon's laugh echoed over all of it.

"I knew it," Kouji said with a quick shake of his head. "Where are you?!" He'd about given up trying to shake information about Kouichi out of Grottomon. He either didn't know or wasn't going to talk.

That didn't mean Kouji wasn't going to beat the daylights out of him anyway.

"Here I am!" Grottomon declared, appearing without warning on top of a chunk of earth. A chunk of earth, Kouji realized, that had eyes and arms and legs. Moreover, it was looking at him. It didn't look happy.

_I wanted some practice with Garmmon. Some people would probably say I should be careful what I wish for,_ Kouji thought as he spied the other Warriors evolving from the corner of his eye. It only took them a few heartbeats and he seized onto his own D-Scan as they did.

In that same moment, Grottmon reached for something of his own. Kouji ignored it. Whatever plans he had wouldn't make much of a difference.

"Beast Spirit -"

Sparkling sand blew all around him, and Kouji found himself collapsing on the ground, trapped on his knees, unable to move. His breath caught in his throat, his D-Scan clattering to the stones beside him. "What … what the?"

Grottomon laughed even harder, the sound echoing all over. "Did you think I was just going to let you fight? You're the only one with a Beast Spirit, so I took you out of this!" His laugh somehow got even more obnoxious. Kouji hadn't thought that was possible. "Maybe once we're done, we can go to Cherubimon-sama. I think you'd _really_ like to meet your brother now."

Every thought Kouji'd had about not questioning Grottomon in regards to Kouichi vanished out of his mind. He slammed himself against the restraining sands with every ounce of his might, but nothing happened. His breath stuttered in his lungs, heart pounding faster and faster, sweat dripping down his forehead.

Caught. Helpless. Unable to defend himself, unable to take care of the people who needed him. Kouichi's face rose up behind his eyes, pained and terrified and unable to take care of himself and while Kouji knew the other Warriors weren't like that, they could fight, it didn't make a difference to him. They needed him against Grottomon and he couldn't do anything.

"All right, I've had about enough of you!" Agnimon declared, pointing dramatically at Grottomon. "Let Kouji go so we can have a fair fight!"

Grottomon shook his head, smirking. "If I wanted a fair fight, I wouldn't have done that to start with! But let's have a _fight_ anyway!" He surged toward them, shifting to Gigasmon in mid-air, and slammed against Agnimon, knocking him back into the nearest stand of trees.

Kouji couldn't watch it all. He wanted to; he wanted to give this every bit of his attention. But the prison that held him wouldn't allow him to so much as move his head. He could look from the corners of his eyes and that was it, aside from breathing and his heart beating. Otherwise, trapped and immobile.

But from what he could see, the others were putting up a huge and amazing fight, not letting the Warrior of Earth throw them around quite the way that he wanted to.

Not that they were winning. Any time that it looked like they might actually have done something that would hurt him, he would shift from one of his forms to the other and get out of it.

The longer Kouji stayed trapped, the more he wanted to get out. And yet nothing he did made the slightest bit of headway. He would be stuck there until Grottomon wanted to release him.

And that wouldn't be until he'd defeated all of the others.

**To Be Continued**

**Note:** Thank you for reading and I hope that you enjoyed the chapter. Please let me know what you thought of it if at all possible.


	32. Wildstorm Ignited

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing involved in this story unless I invented it myself. This is written for fun, not for profit. All forms of feedback eagerly accepted. Concrit is loved the most, but everything is welcome.  
**Fandom:** Digimon Frontier  
**Title:** Eyes of Light: Chapter 32: Wildstorm Ignited  
**Character:** Minamoto Kouji, Kimura Kouichi  
**Word Count:** chapter: 2,164||story: 69,851  
**Genre:** Adventure, Friendship||**Rated:** PG-13  
**Challenge:** Diversity Challenge, section L, #13: a multichap that is a series or season rewrite; Random Character Is Your Hero Challenge; &amp; what-If: What if the twins' mother died before Kouichi met Kouji? &amp; What if Kouji was the one searching for Kouichi?  
**Notes:** I don't know if this will have Kouji x Kouichi in it yet or not. The story will tell me in due time. This is going to be a rewrite of Digimon Frontier and it will _mostly_ follow the course of canon, but through Kouji's eyes. Some events will turn out differently, for various reasons, ranging from the type of what-ifs I chose as the basis for this to something I think should've happened differently.  
**Summary:** Kouji didn't expect a lot of things. He didn't expect to find out his mother had died. Or that he had a twin brother. Or that he was being called to a new world to fight in a war. Or that said twin brother would get on the train with him. And that was just the beginning.

* * *

Gigasmon's hand closed around the Spirit of Ice, yanking it away from the human and pulling it close to himself. "Yes!" This would make Cherubimon-sama so _very_ happy! Of course, he still needed to get the others, but it was a beginning, at least.

He barely paid attention to the human as the small one fell toward the ground. Let his allies take care of that. He tucked the Spirit away where they couldn't get to it and turned his full attention back to the fight going on. It could not have been more in his favor had he planned it out personally. Only Wind, Thunder, and Fire remained to fight him, with Light still trapped inside of his prison.

He spared a quick glance for that. The human looked so _angry_, and even better, he looked terrified. Gigasmon liked that look on him. Would he keep it when taken to face Cherubimon-sama?

Even better, would he look like that when he saw what his brother had become?

He couldn't wait to find out.

But first, he had to clear out the rest of these humans who thought they could use a Digimon's power. He slammed one fist into another, ready to continue. This could not take long.

Agnimon, Fairymon, and Blitzmon all faced him, standing in between him and the boy who'd held Chakmon's power. Gigasmon laughed.

"You could all just hand your Spirits over to me and save a lot of time and pain!" Not that he wouldn't knock them around some even if they did. But they didn't need to know that. And if they hadn't guessed that he would anyway, then that was their problem.

"Yeah, like that's going to happen!" Agnimon snarled before spinning into a Salamander Break, blazes of fire shooting toward him. Gigasmon darted out of the way just barely; they were getting better with their attacks. He refused to consider what might've happened if he'd let the Light boy join in this fight. He might've even been able to control the Beast Spirit and that would've made matters even worse! The longer they used their powers, the better able they were to use them at all.

"Tornado Gamba!" Fairymon spun toward him, winds slamming into him harder and harder with each moment. It wasn't as devastating as some of the other attacks, but it made for an annoyance if nothing else.

"Thor's Hammer!" Blitzmon threw his own weight into the combat, and that was definitely one of the more devastating attacks, lightning arching all through Gigasmon.

Agnimon landed in front of him, eyes burning with rage. "Now, give Tomoki's Spirit back or else!"

Gigasmon laughed, taking another step back, gesturing for Golemon to come closer. "Never going to happen!" Golemon would finish this battle for him. There wasn't anything that they could do to stop him, either.

From the Fortuneteller's Fair behind them, a wild and angry shout rose without warning. All of the Legendary Warriors turned to see what was going on – at least those who could, Kouji still couldn't move more than the slightest bit either way and he wasn't in a good position to see what was going on at all.

"That's Shamamon's temple!" Bokomon declared, peeking around from his sheltering tree. As the structure crumbled, he winced. "Or it used to be."

Out of the ruined temple there rose a creature of fire and destruction. Broad scarlet and orange wings spread wide, while a scaled tail lashed out and wrecked anything that came near it. The being tilted its head back and howled in a mixture of rage and pain. It shot toward them too quickly for anyone to react, slashing through Golemon in a heartbeat.

As his creature vanished into dust, Gigasmon took a step backward. This was a little more than he wanted to handle right now. He would figure out how to deal with this later.

"I'll be back!" he declared before diving into a patch of clear earth and heading for somewhere less hazardous to his health.

* * *

"Who is that?" Agnimon wanted to know, dodging every lash of tail and smash of wings that he could. There weren't many; whoever this was, they weren't so much trying to fight as they were destroying everything that came in sight, and doing a pretty good job of it.

Bokomon paged quickly through his book, ducking down underneath the limbs of the tree he'd taken shelter under. "I don't...I don't believe it!" He looked from the page image to the Digimon attacking and back again. "It can't be!"

"Who is it?" Tomoki had taken shelter next to him, eyes still a little distant and shocked from the loss of his Spirit. "Someone you know?"

"It's Vritramon!" Bokomon's gaze flicked now between the rampaging monster and Agnimon. "The Beast Spirit of Flame!"

"You mean that's my Spirit?" Agnimon stared for a moment, but only that moment, since the creature's wings and tail lashed toward him a heartbeat later.

"Yes! Someone else must have found it!"

Agnimon tried to get a better look at the creature, but that wasn't but so easy given how it just kept on attacking. He couldn't even tell where the others were right now.

"He...help me!" At first Agnimon wasn't even certain if he'd heard the words correctly. Who could be asking for help now, of all times, and from where? He ducked more and more of Vritramon's attacks, trying to split his attention without getting his head split open in the process.

"Who are you?" He grabbed hold of one of Vritramon's wings and gripped as hard as he could. This lasted only about three breaths before he found himself knocked backwards, slamming into a thicket of trees. About the only good thing he saw was that Kouji was heading toward them now, somehow released from Grottomon's weird prison.

The only answer his question received was an unholy howl of pain from Vritramon, along with wings and tail and fire all lashing toward him. Agnimon managed to take all of it, though he didn't like any of it.

"Wait, that voice..." Bokomon popped up for a moment, staring. "That can't be! It's _Shamamon_!"

Agnimon blinked, rubbing at the side of his head where Vritramon's tail had connected. "What?" He wanted this fight over. It had been rough enough going up against Gigasmon, but this was pushing things too far. He needed time to process all of this and that wasn't happening just yet.

"Shamamon! Is that you in there?"

A low moan was the answer, but one that Bokomon recognized. His eyes widened even more. "It is! It is him! The Spirit has taken him over! He can't control it!"

Agnimon could not find himself surprised. Mostly because he didn't have the time to focus on _being_ surprised since he had to avoid or absorb Vritramon's attacks. The last thing he wanted was for any of the others to get hurt, especially Tomoki now that he didn't have a Spirit.

Oh, and he was gonna _get_ Gigasmon for that. He knew that Kouji had a particular hatred for all of the evil Warriors, but he'd just have to be persuaded to share this one. It wasn't right to go around stealing things from people, especially little kids.

And speaking of Kouji, a powerful howl split the air, one far more controlled than Vritramon's, and Garmmon leaped onto the Beast of Flame's back, teeth and nails digging in. Vritramon lashed out again, throwing himself backward in an attempt to get the Beast Spirit of Light off of him. It didn't work.

_Is Kouji controlling it?_ Agnimon wondered, setting off another barrage of Fire Darts as he did. They had to weaken Vritramon's hold on Shamamon, then he could take the Spirit. He hoped. It wouldn't be like with Gigasmon stealing the Spirit of Ice. He doubted Shamamon wanted to be controlled like this.

He hoped.

Garmmon leaped off of Vritramon's back, just missing a stand of rocks as he came to s standstill. "If we combine our attacks, we should be able to stop him!"

Hearing Kouji suggest anything like teamwork was just enough to make everyone focus on what they were doing. If the situation were _that_ desperate, what else could they do?

"All right, let's make this count!" All of them were getting worn down, except perhaps Garmmon. And in a battle between Flame and Light, no one knew who stood a chance of winning. It wasn't a fight they wanted to have happen.

"Burning Salamander!"

"Thor's Hammer!"

"Tornado Gamba!"

"Solar Laser!"

All of the attacks slammed into Vritramon at once, sending him spiraling backward. Perhaps Shamamon's own will to be freed helped, as the familiar spiral of data appeared around him. Agnimon stepped up, his D-Scan appearing in one hand as he did.

"Let's do this!" He brought his D-Scan down, sending a blaze of energy toward his opponent. Toward his Spirit. Tendrils of flame wrapped around Vritramon and the Digimon condensed downward until the Spirit itself appeared, a wild thing of power and rage and energy unlike anything Takuya had ever imagined before. He pulled it into himself, taking it for his own.

And it took him for its own as well, a fiery wildstorm of recognition and desire and _want_ and need and burning and TakuyaAgnimon could not thing anymore and AgnimonTakuya wanted to burn and burn and burn forever…

Somewhere he could hear KoujiWolfmonGarmmon's voice and he did not sound happy at all and TakuyaAgnimonVritramonAgnimonTakuya did not know why, because he was happy, he wanted to _burn everything_…

"This is not good."

* * *

Garmmon circled Vritramon, wondering if Takuya were anywhere in there still. He had to be; it didn't make sense otherwise, but there was no way to be certain. Not just yet, anyway. Not without the Warrior of Flame reverting to human and that wasn't going to happen.

Not without issuing an epic beatdown and given Vritramon's strength, that was going to be difficult.

Not impossible. Just difficult. Garmmon – especially with Kouji's mind roaming in there – did not do impossible.

"Solar Laser!" The blast struck Vritramon in the side, but all he did was howl and swipe with his claws in the wolf's direction. Garmmon wheeled back with all due speed, trying to come up with some kind of a plan on the fly.

He shook his head almost at once; Garmmon wasn't good with plans. He was a Beast; he hunted, he did not fight, unless he had no other choice.

_Well, we don't have any other choices,_ Kouji's thoughts wound around his own. _We've got to stop him before he hurts someone else. Or himself._

Garmmon could not speak to Kouji, or vice-versa, not directly. But they both knew what the other _wanted_ to say, and sometimes even a little of what they needed to say. Agreeing on what to do was much harder. So far, they'd managed to agree on moving in a general sort of way and that Vritramon needed to calm down.

Figuring out exactly how to do that? That was another story altogether and one they hadn't even begun to touch on, let alone work out.

A gust of wind tossed up by the constant beating of Vritramon's wings brought a breath of water's scent. An idea sparked within human and Spirit alike. Garmmon spun closer to where Blitzmon and Fairymon stood guard over their friends who couldn't defend themselves at the moment. "There's a lake that way," Garmmon growled, jerking his head in the proper direction. "Shove Vritramon in it and he'll cool off for a while."

Fairymon did not look very convinced of this idea. "Can we? Wouldn't he just evaporate it or something?"

"Maybe. But we don't have any better ideas right now." Frankly, this would be a time when the Warrior of Water would be very useful, if she could have been trusted to help. But without her, they had to make do.

"Is there anything I can do to help?" Tomoki wanted to know, gripping his hat between his hands. He looked so small and so lost right now, without the power of Chakmon and ice at his disposal. Garmmon bent his head a fraction closer to the cub.

"Not right now. Stay here, where it's safe."

One thing he and Kouji had no issues at all on was that those who could not protect themselves needed to be protected by those who could do it.

Something else nudged at him and Garmmon spoke again. "Keep an eye on Bokomon and Neemon." He lifted his head to where Shamamon lay, unnoticed since Vritramon's spirit infused Takuya and Agnimon. "And on him, too." This would be a wild fight and the last thing they needed was anyone else getting hurt.

He spun around and faced the rampaging spirit head-on. They'd been lucky enough that in those few moments no serious damage had been caused. But now they needed to end this.

**To Be Continued**

**Note:** Thank you for reading and I hope that you enjoyed the chapter. Please let me know what you thought of it if at all possible.


	33. War of Flames

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing involved in this story unless I invented it myself. This is written for fun, not for profit. All forms of feedback eagerly accepted. Concrit is loved the most, but everything is welcome.  
**Fandom:** Digimon Frontier  
**Title:** Eyes of Light: Chapter 33: War of Flames  
**Character:** Minamoto Kouji, Kimura Kouichi  
**Word Count:** chapter: 2,059||story: 71,910  
**Genre:** Adventure, Friendship||**Rated:** PG-13  
**Challenge:** Diversity Challenge, section L, #13: a multichap that is a series or season rewrite; Random Character Is Your Hero Challenge; &amp; what-If: What if the twins' mother died before Kouichi met Kouji? &amp; What if Kouji was the one searching for Kouichi?  
**Notes:** I don't know if this will have Kouji x Kouichi in it yet or not. The story will tell me in due time. This is going to be a rewrite of Digimon Frontier and it will _mostly_ follow the course of canon, but through Kouji's eyes. Some events will turn out differently, for various reasons, ranging from the type of what-ifs I chose as the basis for this to something I think should've happened differently.  
**Summary:** Kouji didn't expect a lot of things. He didn't expect to find out his mother had died. Or that he had a twin brother. Or that he was being called to a new world to fight in a war. Or that said twin brother would get on the train with him. And that was just the beginning.

* * *

Garmmon steadied himself, focused on Vritramon's back where the wings connected to his larger body, and leaped. The Beast Spirit of Flame howled and shook even before he connected, far more interested in causing damage and howling in rage than in actually fighting for the moment. That gave Garmmon an advantage, one of being able to plan.

At least insomuch as the Beast Spirit of Light ever planned anything. He was a _beast_; planning was something that humans did. And having a human joined with him did help.

Frankly, the whole situation could be very confusing if one considered it for more than a few seconds, which Garmmon just didn't have time to do.

He did notice something else that Vritramon was far more free to do, and was indeed doing: setting fire to everything in sight. The forest on this side of the Fortuneteller's Fair blazed easily, every tree and bush in sight igniting almost if Vritramon so much as glanced in its direction.

Vritramon would be a powerful ally if they could get him calmed down enough for the human boy to exert a little direction. Preferably before the entire forest ignited all around them.

For now, Garmmon dug his teeth and claws into Vritramon's spine, doing all that he could to distract his fellow Beast Spirit. There wasn't much damage that he could do, given Vritramon's armor and general toughness, but he tried.

Again Vritramon howled, a sound like to split the world with its pain and suffering, and Garmmon bit harder. Metal stung between his teeth but he dared not let go, knowing Vritramon would be even worse if he did.

"Lightning Bomber!" Blitzmon joined in his efforts, with Fairymon throwing in a Brezza Petalo as well.

It would've been much better if Chakmon could've lent them a hand, but Gigasmon had put paid to that, at least until they could get it back. Every bit of the Warrior of Light was committed to fixing that as soon as possible.

But first, putting Vritramon down. Which meant getting him to that lake, without burning up the entire forest, to quench his rage.

Garmmon leaped off, circling around to face Vritramon head on. "Is that all you can do?" he taunted. He hoped if he could get the Beast-Spirit to follow him, then he'd be focused on doing that and not on burning up everything around.

At least he _hoped_. The others could work on putting the fire out while he kept Vritramon distracted. The problem there was not being able to tell them that, since it would be all but impossible to distract someone if they knew you were trying to distract them.

He darted forward, sending a small laser out to sting at Vritramon, just enough to get a howl out of the other. "Come on!" He howled back. No one should ever challenge a wolf to a contest of howls. The wolf will always win. "Catch me if you can!"

Somewhere, he thought the human part of him was doing something called a facepalm. Facepaw? Garmmon didn't know and cared less. They needed Vritramon to follow and what else could they do?

And Vritramon did follow, chasing as quickly as he could. There wasn't enough room here for him to take off, and Garmmon could not help but be glad that his opponent wasn't thinking clearly enough to realize it wouldn't matter if there wasn't enough room, he could just incinerate half the forest and _make_ room.

Garmmon caught a glimpse from the corner of his eye; Blitzmon and Fairymon were working together to get the fire under control. Good, they understood that much at least. He couldn't see the Ice Spirit's human or the two other Digimon, but if they stayed out of the way, he would be satisfied with that. The fewer who were in the line of fire – literally – the better.

Vritramon slashed at him with a pawful of flames. Garmmon snapped back out of instinct, then rolled back farther, wanting to get him moving in the right direction. The lake wasn't that far. They could make it. Then he'd dunk Vritramon in it and if there was anything like luck in this world, then it would cool the hothead off.

At least he thought the lake wasn't that far. He knew which direction the scent of water came from and he knew there was a lake there and if he'd taken a wrong turn, then they were all going to end up ashes in the wind, and that wasn't the way that Garmmon, Wolfmon, _or_ Minamoto Kouji wanted to end up.

The farther they went along, though, the more he could smell the clear scent of water and that encouraged him to keep on tapping at Vritramon, just enough to keep him going. Vritramon roared, though nothing he said made any sense at all, slashed at trees and blasted whatever got in his way. Most of the time that was Garmmon himself and he had to dodge and duck and squirm to avoid being anything other than brushed by the blaze.

He wasn't always as lucky as he tried to be. Scorch marks coated his armored hide and the tip of his tail was a bit more scorched than he really wanted it. He panted hard; the others had done a lot of good work in getting the fire under control, but the smoke hadn't faded yet and with all of the effort he was putting in, he breathed in more of it than was good for him.

"Is that the best you can do?" Garmmon snarled, darting ahead a little more. "Or are you really just a candle instead of a fire?"

Well, _that_ howl had words in it, and those words weren't ones that young ones should hear, in Garmmon's opinion. At least there weren't any young ones in the area.

_Can you really do that?_ Garmmon wondered briefly, zipping backwards as he did. _I don't think bodies should bend that way even if you can._

He put it out of his mind; that was something to think about while chewing on a meaty bone before going to sleep. He kept on prodding and poking, using his voice when his lasers or his teeth wouldn't do the job correctly. Vritramon didn't seem to care, not so long as he stood a chance of grabbing onto Garmmon and smashing him into whatever he could find that was hard enough to do damage.

Garmmon wasn't going to let him do that, of course. He had too much to do in order to let himself get hurt by someone meant to be his ally.

He whirled again. They were in sight of the lake; he'd seen it while dodging around. Now he just needed one more taunt, one more that would get Vritramon that much closer, if not actually in it.

His back heels spun without warning, his Rocket Skates trying for leverage and not getting it. The ground here was just too soft, too soaked from a recent rain, or _something_. He didn't know why, only that he couldn't get purchase on it, and from the pounding footsteps surging toward him, Vritramon could.

Garmmon snapped his head up just in time to see the enraged Warrior of Flame leap forward, powerful muscled arms wrapping around his neck, and he was pulled upward, feet flailing helplessly. He could still fight, but he needed more balance than he had to do anything more than snap ineffectively at his attacker. Vritramon didn't give him that leverage. Instead, he threw the giant armored wolf over one shoulder into a nearby pile of rocks.

Garmmon howled in pain, throwing himself back on his feet and trying to get steady. His armor protected him from most of the damage, even after everything Vritramon dished out, but that didn't stop it from _hurting_. He shook his head and looked up, wanting to see how much effort it would take to get Vritramon into the lake now.

_Oh, no. No._

He couldn't have imagined anything worse aside from...he just couldn't think of anything worse at all. Vritramon turned away from the lake and stalked back toward the Fortuneteller's Fair, where there weren't nearly enough people strong enough to stop him and the ones who stood the best chance weren't strong enough to do it either.

_Can I get him going this way again?_ He didn't have many other options. He had to do something, even if he failed. Maybe just trying would get Takuya's attention, wherever he was deep down in there.

He knew he was grasping at straws here, and thin ones at that, but what else could he do? There wasn't anything else that stood a chance of stopping a wild force of nature such as Vritramon. He had to do _something_.

Unfortunately, the list of available somethings was fast running out, and Garmmon didn't know what to do when they got to the end of it.

* * *

Tomoki kept himself tucked underneath a pile of half-burnt branches, his heart pounding so fast he thought it might jump out of his throat. He kept peeking up, but he couldn't see anything worth looking at just yet. Only trees, stumps of trees, and the half-burned ground in front of him.

Bokomon and Neemon weren't that far off. He could hear them talking, mostly arguing over what was in the book and what chance Garmmon had of succeeding. He tried not to pay that much attention, mostly because he didn't want to get into the argument himself, since being stuck under here wasn't a really good place to have an argument at and he didn't want to head over there, because something could probably catch on fire while he did, and that was a really bad idea.

_If I had my Spirit, I could fix this a lot faster._ Fairymon and Blitzmon were doing a really good job, but with just one blow of his ice breath, he could've put it _all_ out.

But he couldn't now. Not when Gigasmon had his Spirit and he had no idea of where Gigasmon even was.

_So what do I do?_ Tomoki wriggled harder against the dirt, keeping one eye up just a little. He couldn't see any sign of Garmmon or Vritramon and most of the noise from the fair had stopped by now anyway, at least the shrieking and howling.

_I might not know what I can do, but I'm going to do something._ Tomoki made up his mind in a sudden heartbeat. Just sitting here wasn't helping anyone. Sure, it kept him safe, but it didn't _help_. Takuya-onii-chan needed his help now, and he wasn't getting it with Tomoki tucked up under a pile of broken limbs where he might get stepped on as soon as anything else.

He wiggled his way out of there and looked around. All the noise that he could hear that sounded like a couple of powerful Digimon fighting one another came from _that_ direction, so that was where he started.

"Tomoki!" Blitzmon hovered just above him, staring down in confusion. "What do you think you're doing? You need to stay where it's safe!"

Tomoki shook his head, stubborn as Takuya could be. "Takuya-oniichan needs help." He wanted to say everything else; how Takuya had shown him what real courage was when he'd been under Bakumon's spell and how he wasn't going to let that lesson slip away. But it was Takuya who needed to hear that, not Blitzmon. So he kept on walking.

"Yeah, we know," Fairymon said as she fluttered in. "But Kouji's doing the best he can with that. You need to stay out of danger."

Tomoki looked up at both of them, hands clenching. He shook his head, hoping that they'd understand what he needed, somehow. "I don't care that I don't have a spirit. _Takuya-oniichan needs me right now_!" He didn't wait around for them to understand him. Instead, he darted underneath their protective reach and charged through the ruined forest, looking for any sign of Takuya or Kouji. There had to be something somewhere and he refused to give up without a fight.

Because with or without a Spirit, he was a Legendary Warrior, and if his friend needed him, then he'd be there, no matter what.

**To Be Continued**

**Note:** Thank you for reading and I hope that you enjoyed the chapter. Please let me know what you thought of it if at all possible.


	34. Blood, Tears, & Being A Hero

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing involved in this story unless I invented it myself. This is written for fun, not for profit. All forms of feedback eagerly accepted. Concrit is loved the most, but everything is welcome.  
**Fandom:** Digimon Frontier  
**Title:** Eyes of Light: Chapter 34: Blood, Tears, and Being a Hero  
**Character:** Minamoto Kouji, Kimura Kouichi  
**Word Count:** chapter: 2,240||story: 74,150  
**Genre:** Adventure, Friendship||**Rated:** PG-13  
**Challenge:** Diversity Challenge, section L, #13: a multichap that is a series or season rewrite; Random Character Is Your Hero Challenge; &amp; what-If: What if the twins' mother died before Kouichi met Kouji? &amp; What if Kouji was the one searching for Kouichi?  
**Notes:** I don't know if this will have Kouji x Kouichi in it yet or not. The story will tell me in due time. This is going to be a rewrite of Digimon Frontier and it will _mostly_ follow the course of canon, but through Kouji's eyes. Some events will turn out differently, for various reasons, ranging from the type of what-ifs I chose as the basis for this to something I think should've happened differently.  
**Summary:** Kouji didn't expect a lot of things. He didn't expect to find out his mother had died. Or that he had a twin brother. Or that he was being called to a new world to fight in a war. Or that said twin brother would get on the train with him. And that was just the beginning.

* * *

Something wiggled inside of Tomoki's shirt. He looked down at it, confused at first, then grinned when the toy robot squirmed out of there and hovered in front of him.

"Hey! I almost forgot you were in there!" The robot had been very quiet in the days since they'd left Toy Town and Tomoki had been pretty busy most evenings, too much so to play with it. Still, he was glad that the little guy was there now.

The robot looked this way and that, then pointed in one direction, where the bulk of the noise and fighting came from. Tomoki glanced around; he'd been hoping to find some kind of a way to where Kouji and Takuya were. Even with all of this fighting, it would be difficult to get to them.

But maybe now he had a guide?

"Is that where they are?" It was probably a silly question but Tomoki thought he could ask them. This was his toy, after all.

The robot nodded and buzzed off through the smoke-filled air. Tomoki hurried afterward, trying not to feel too bad about leaving Fairymon and Blitzmon behind. He knew they were only trying to help, but they really needed to make certain the forest didn't burn down, not try to stop him from helping Takuya-onii-chan.

With the robot's guidance, Tomoki dodged here and there through the smoke, hiding on occasion when wild-eyed Digimon zoomed by, fleeing the fire and the fracas in equal measures. Some of them did look pretty dangerous, if they hadn't been busy running, so Tomoki was quite glad to keep out of their sight.

_It wouldn't be the same if I had my Spirit._ That rankled deep inside, like a thorn that he couldn't get out. Why had his Spirit been stolen? Not that he wanted _anyone's_ spirit stolen, but why did it have to be his? He was the youngest and the smallest, the one who needed the most protection. And now he was the one who didn't have any at all.

Distant words that he hadn't heard in weeks drifted through his mind.

_You're so spoiled, Tomoki. You let Mom and Dad take care of you and you never try to do anything for yourself, ever. Are you listening to me? Are you?_

Tomoki's fingers clenched together and hot tears stung at his eyes. He shook his head a bit, trying to push the words away. It wasn't true. He wasn't spoiled at all, not like that. He was the youngest in his family, too. It was only right that they take care of him. What else were they supposed to do?

A tiny hand patted his shoulder and he pulled himself out of his thoughts to see the robot hovering. It pointed with the other hand and a heartbeat later, Garmmon came flying into sight. Perhaps 'flying' wasn't the right word, since he wasn't doing it under any kind of control, and he slammed into a rise of rocks hard enough to chip pebbles off of it.

"Garmmon!" Tomoki started forward, eyes wide. Where was Takuya-onii-chan? Where was Vritramon?

Almost as if in perfect answer to his unspoken question, the Beast Warrior of Flame stalked into view, pausing just long enough to tilt his head back and roar in rage at the skies above. Garmmon grumbled something that Tomoki couldn't hear as he pushed himself back to his feet and shook his head. Tomoki didn't think it was any kind of actual answer, though.

A gust of wind ghosted by and Garmmon turned toward Tomoki a heartbeat later. "What are you doing here? Get out!"

Tomoki shook his head and squared his shoulders. "No! I'm not going to run away when Takuya-onii-chan needs help!"

"He could hurt you!" Garmmon reminded him, starting to place himself between Tomoki and Vritramon as the other stalked forward. Tomoki had no idea of where he was in relation to the village now but he knew that they didn't want this huge creature getting there and causing even more trouble.

"He won't. He's still Takuya-onii-chan in there." Tomoki believed this. He _had_ to believe it or what he was doing would be the stupidest thing that he'd ever done in his entire life.

_I'm not spoiled. I'm doing this for Takuya-onii-chan. He needs help._ He'd lost himself in the flames inside. And ice could put out fire, even when Tomoki didn't have his spirit.

He had to do this. Because _not_ doing it would be even worse than what could happen if he did.

He couldn't wait any longer. That would just mean someone else got hurt and right now that looked like Garmmon, who didn't look as if he'd been having a fun romp in the woods anyway.

Tomoki didn't let himself think about it, partly because he suspected if he _did_ think about it, he'd find a way to talk himself out of it. Or someone else would stop him and he wouldn't get a chance to do it again. He spared just enough time to make sure his robot buddy stayed out of danger – only one of them needed to risk themselves like this – and charged forward as fast as his legs could move him.

"Takuya-onii-chan!" He shouted the closer he got to Vritramon. "It's me, Tomoki! Stop this!" Somewhere in the back of his mind he felt that everyone else was right and this was a very bad idea. But he'd started on it now and he wasn't going to back down. Takuya wouldn't change his mind once he got started.

Vritramon howled and Tomoki didn't think that was his way of saying hello, either. He couldn't tell if the Digimon was looking at him or not, but he hurried up to him anyway, planting himself right in front of him.

"I know you're in there! You can stop this! I know you can!" Being this close to Vritramon made him ache even more for his Spirit, if only because it meant he would be a small bit cooler. He wiped his forehead and took another step closer. "I believe in you!"

He thought he heard Garmmon behind him but taking his eyes away from Vritramon now would be a very bad idea. Vritramon slowly turned to stare down at him and every instinct Tomoki owned and several he'd never known existed called to him to get away, to run and hide from this creature that could crush him in a second, melt him in a moment.

But he stood his ground, even as Vritramon's huge paw shot down and wrapped around him and he wanted to scream and run away even more.

"Tomoki!" He heard it from multiple voices and twisted his head around to see not just Garmmon but Fairymon and Blitzmon as well. Even his little robot hovered worriedly, far enough back so that Vritramon likely wouldn't smack it down, but as concerned as the others were.

"Vritramon, put him down! Takuya!" Garmmon howled, zipping a little closer. He pitched to a halt when Vritramon started to squeeze, eyes wide and wild with anger.

Tomoki only turned back to look at this raging creature that was his friend. "Takuya-onii-chan, I know you're in there. I know you don't want to do this. You're a hero and this isn't being one. Hurting people who can't stop you isn't being one. _You_ told me that, remember?"

It hadn't even been that long ago. Two nights, something like that. When Tomoki had suffered under Bakumon's spell and hadn't known who he was facing, only that he was convinced they were all his enemies.

Was that what Takuya was seeing now? People who only wanted to hurt him and he fought back the only way he knew how? If that was it, then Tomoki would make certain that he knew they weren't like that at all.

Right now, Vritramon chose only to growl, his gleaming red eyes targeted on Tomoki and his claws tightening more. Perhaps not as much as they might have if Tomoki did anything except sit there in his grip, but tighten all the same, and it made it harder and harder for him to breathe.

But Tomoki wouldn't fight back. Even if he'd had his Spirit, he wouldn't have, because that wasn't what Takuya needed. He needed his friends, not a fight.

"Being a hero doesn't mean you hurt people. It means you help them. And you help the people who really need it, not just hurting people who are there," Tomoki said. He gasped as Vritramon lifted him up, the tips of those claws digging further into him. "Takuya! I know you're in there! I know you don't want to fight. We're all your friends and we don't want to fight you!"

"We will if we have to," Garmmon added, "but he's right. We don't _want_ to."

Tears spilled down Tomoki's cheeks as he leaned forward, ignoring how much it hurt. "Don't make us hurt you. We don't want to. None of us want to hurt each other. We have to fight those other warriors, not each other. You know that, don't you? I know you do." He could only hope that something of what he was saying was getting through to Takuya. If it wasn't, then they were all in for much more pain.

Speaking of pain, Vritramon's claws dug deeper into Tomoki and the little boy shuddered and winced, more tears tumbling down. "Please..."

He could feel something warm sliding down his arms as well and small threads of pain wove their way upward from there. He couldn't get a good enough look to know what it was, but as it turned out, he didn't have to. His little robot darted down, close to him, and Tomoki could feel a touch there for a few seconds before the robot flew back upwards, daringly hanging in front of Vritramon with one hand held out. Tomoki could see what was there as well and he winced.

Blood. His blood, drawn by Vritramon.

He wanted to say something else, but nothing came to mind. From the way Vritramon's eyes suddenly tracked the small drops on the robot's hand, he thought perhaps he really didn't have to.

"To...Tomoki?" Takuya's voice, and his voice alone, not the angry howls of the Beast of Fire. "I … I did that… that's my fault..."

The claws loosened around Tomoki and gravity took over. He flailed as he fell, arms thrashing violently, before firm arms grabbed hold of him and Fairymon helped him to the ground safely. "Are you all right?"

"Yeah. I'm fine. This is nothing." He prodded at the scrapes where the blood flowed. He'd probably need a band-aid if they had any but he really worried more about Takuya than himself right now.

Speaking of, he looked up just in time to see Vritramon fading away and where he'd been, Takuya now knelt. Tomoki headed that way without another thought in his head, hardly noticing at all that he was trembling, until he was close enough to Takuya to touch him.

The moment his hand brushed on Takuya's shoulder, Takuya looked up, his eyes wide and wet. "Tomoki..."

Tomoki wrapped his arms around Takuya and held him as close as he could. "It's all right, Takuya-onii-chan. It's all right." He could hear the others coming closer, hear the soft whispers as they all reverted back to their human forms, and he just kept on holding Takuya, because he knew Takuya needed it right now. And he'd do whatever it was that Takuya needed.

* * *

Learning how to use the shadows in all the ways that the Warrior of Darkness _could_ use them turned out to be much more difficult than Duskmon had ever imagined. Though in all fairness, he hadn't ever sat down and thought about how hard doing so would be in the first place.

But one skill he picked up on, because he strained to master this more than any other, was how to watch what was going on in far distant places through the shadows that fell anywhere. Wherever darkness was, he was, and where he was, he could see if he tried.

Now he watched as his enemies cuddled and cooed over one another, trying to reassure the Warrior of Flame that he wasn't a monster or something to that effect. The bulk of his attention remained on the Warrior of Light. He would always watch Minamoto Kouji, in whatever form the other took.

_You care more about them than you do about anyone else. You always have, haven't you?_ Rage coursed through his veins. He ached to find a way to close his hands around the boy's throat and where Vritramon had been tamed by tears and blood, he would only be encouraged for more pain by the sight of the same.

There was no concept of forgiveness in Duskmon's mind when it came to the Warrior of Light. There would come a day when he would end the other. Light could never overcome Darkness, because Darkness was everywhere that Light wasn't, and when Light faded, Darkness rushed in to fill the empty spaces. There had been Darkness before there had been Light and that was what would always be.

Light was the intruder, the unwanted one, the one that did not need to exist. Duskmon would make certain that Minamoto Kouji understood that, before he died.

**To Be Continued**

**Note:** Thank you for reading and I hope that you enjoyed the chapter. Please let me know what you thought of it if at all possible. Also, I will probably skip over Tomoki getting his Spirit back, as that wouldn't be much changed from the canon. We'll see what happens in the next few chapters.


	35. Flaws and Failings

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing involved in this story unless I invented it myself. This is written for fun, not for profit. All forms of feedback eagerly accepted. Concrit is loved the most, but everything is welcome.  
**Fandom:** Digimon Frontier  
**Title:** Eyes of Light: Chapter 35: Flaws and Failings  
**Character:** Minamoto Kouji, Kimura Kouichi  
**Word Count:** chapter: 2,021||story: 76,171  
**Genre:** Adventure, Friendship||**Rated:** PG-13  
**Challenge:** Diversity Challenge, section L, #13: a multichap that is a series or season rewrite; Random Character Is Your Hero Challenge; &amp; what-If: What if the twins' mother died before Kouichi met Kouji? &amp; What if Kouji was the one searching for Kouichi?  
**Notes:** I don't know if this will have Kouji x Kouichi in it yet or not. The story will tell me in due time. This is going to be a rewrite of Digimon Frontier and it will _mostly_ follow the course of canon, but through Kouji's eyes. Some events will turn out differently, for various reasons, ranging from the type of what-ifs I chose as the basis for this to something I think should've happened differently.  
**Summary:** Kouji didn't expect a lot of things. He didn't expect to find out his mother had died. Or that he had a twin brother. Or that he was being called to a new world to fight in a war. Or that said twin brother would get on the train with him. And that was just the beginning.

* * *

There were plenty of ways for Duskmon to exercise his powers, learning how to use them more efficiently. Sparring against the other warriors worked reasonably well, though doing so against Mercuremon was somewhat difficult. The Warrior of Steel's power remained mostly in reflecting the attack of whoever came against him back at them, and while Duskmon could handle his own strength, it made Mercuremon far too happy to do this to him.

Fighting Ranamon had its own flaws, but those mostly involved the fact the Warrior of Water had a very strong tendency to throw temper tantrums whenever Duskmon cut through her Jealousy Rain or Rain Stream. For that matter, when any of his attacks cut into her, she screamed and howled and more or less went on as if she'd expected him to sit on the side and let her claim victory because she'd actually shown up in the sparring area.

Arbormon, for all of his lack of intelligence in Duskmon's opinion, made for a satisfying sparring partner, though not one that Duskmon thought would be useful for anything else. Arbormon fought and made occasional statements that didn't make as much sense as the Warrior of Wood thought they did. Duskmon knew that when the inevitable moment came when Ophanimon's warriors defeated him, he wouldn't miss the other at all.

Last, and most certainly not least, there was Grottomon. He'd been a decent sparring partner for a brief time, so long as he had his Beast Spirit. Gigasmon's powers made him difficult to detect once he burrowed into the earth and dangerous to lose sight of, as the enemy Warriors knew well by now.

Duskmon had his own ways to hide, however, and when Grottomon dared to peek out to see if he'd left, the Warrior of Darkness struck. Grottomon howled like a banshee when his blades cut into him and Duskmon savored the pain.

He hadn't lost a sparring match with anyone in the time since he'd begun them. The ones he had with Mercuremon ended up in draws more than anything else, but Duskmon didn't count a draw as a loss.

It wouldn't be much longer before he could graduate from simple sparring to all out fighting against his master's enemies. He trained not just against the other Warriors but against powerful Digimon that Cherubimon had brought in to stand against him, teaching him techniques that would be valuable in days to come, he didn't doubt at all.

His blood-red blades sliced through one such opponent, who trembled, cried out a wordless howl of pain, and then vanished, data being absorbed by Cherubimon-sama, leaving nothing at all behind. Almost at that same moment, Duskmon heard a disturbance out in the hallway. With nothing else to do for the day, having sparred and trained until he could no more, he stepped outside to see what was going on.

Grottomon stood there, stomping his feet and swearing in language that Duskmon suspected few would've wished their offspring to hear. It took a few moments to understand what he was so upset about.

"They took it! They took my Beast Spirit!" Grottomon slammed one fist into the nearest wall, sending chips and shards flying. "I even had the Spirit of Ice, and they took that back too! I'm going to finish all of them! They won't get away with this! I won't allow it!"

Mercuremon stood a short distance away and Duskmon could tell that he found this extremely amusing. "How do you expect to do this when you don't have your Beast Spirit at all anymore? That was the only thing that gave you any kind of an edge against them. You couldn't do it on your own."

What Grottomon had to say about that was even less likely for parents to wish their children to hear. Duskmon did not know how to smile, but if he had, he would've done so in sheer amusement at the Earth warrior's frustration. This was far more amusing than he would've ever thought it would be.

He could tell that Cherubimon-sama kept an eye on these proceedings, but their lord and master did not choose to say anything. Whatever Grottomon did about this situation was of little interest to the Great Angel. Duskmon himself didn't think it was all that fascinating, save for one tiny fact: Grottomon would not be long for this world. Just as Mercuremon had said, having his Beast Spirit was all that gave him any advantage. With that gone, they would finish him at their leisure.

_Perhaps I should save them the trouble._ It wasn't a bad thought at all. Grottomon wasn't useful anymore. All he could do was flail and shout. He shifted a little closer, blade slowly sliding into place.

**No, Duskmon. I wish him spared for now.** Cherubimon's voice flickered through Duskmon's mind and the dark warrior froze on the spot. **The time will come when you can act upon your desires. But for now, no.**

None of the others seemed to have noticed anything at all, though Mercuremon's gaze flicked closer to Duskmon. Then he looked back at Grottomon.

"What did you want to do? Do you even know where they're at?" Mercuremon wanted to know. "I haven't been watching them myself." His lips curved wickedly. "They haven't been quite as interesting of late, not since the Warrior of Light found other interests."

Duskmon tried to remember why he shouldn't slam his own blade directly into Mercuremon's face. The only reason that came to mind was that Cherubimon-sama wouldn't want him to do it. Even though his master didn't pull him back, Duskmon could feel the slight awareness forbidding it.

Grottomon hadn't noticed any of that. Instead, he glared at Mercuremon fiercely. "Of course I know which way they're going!"

"But knowing where they're going and which way they're going are two different things," Mercuremon reminded him. "If you knew where they were going, we could be waiting for them there. But since you don't..."

"Since you don't," Ranamon put in with one of her hideous giggles, "we're just going to have to follow and see if it's worth the trouble."

Grottomon's glare shifted over to Ranamon. "What are you talking about? Why do you think you want to follow me?"

"It's simple," Ranamon said. "If those kids are being interesting, then we need to follow them."

Duskmon liked that very little. He cared nothing for the Warriors of Fire or Ice or Wind or Thunder, but Light? Light was his and always would be.

He didn't want them to know this, though. They did not need to know anything about him and that included his desire to shred the Warrior of Light into more pieces than anyone could count.

Mercuremon turned toward him. "Did you want to come along? I'm certain we could find something for you and all of your skills to do."

Duskmon favored Mercuremon with a cool, distant glance. "No." He saw no need to give any reasons beyond that. If he chose to watch the Warrior of Light, he would do so on his own time and in his own way instead of tromping around with this gaggle of fools. He could find Kouji anywhere anyway, and he wouldn't make _their_ task any easier.

Not to mention that watching them bumble about would be amusing in and of itself. He _hoped_ they knew better than to attempt to destroy Light without him around. Rough him up if they must, but his life belonged to Duskmon and threatening it would bring down his wrath upon them all.

Mercuremon's laugh echoed unpleasantly from the walls around them. "Of course. I wouldn't expect anything less."

There were moments when Duskmon wondered just how much Mercuremon actually saw or knew. But he kept his thoughts to himself and departed, his thoughts more on Kouji and how he would end the other's life than anything else. He'd made so many plans and he could only imagine how wonderful it would be when they could finally come to fruition.

**Watch them anyway, my Warrior. Ophanimon's warriors are closer to something important than they know.**

Duskmon tilted his head. "My lord?" Cherubimon sounded worried. Cherubimon _never_ sounded worried.

**They draw closer to where Seraphimon sleeps. I would have destroyed it already, and him with it, but it's been protected for some time. Even I cannot break through it.**

Duskmon frowned, moving farther into his own room. "Then they shouldn't be able to get to him, should they?" The thought that those children could do something that Cherubimon-sama couldn't wasn't one that he liked. It brought up other thoughts, ones that he shoved away with all of his strength. It was better to trust his master than to daydream about what might never be.

**I cannot be certain. Ophanimon arranged for his protection and she may have a way to get them through it.** There was a sense of waiting as Cherubimon considered options. **Duskmon. Do not go with my other Warriors but track the Warrior of Light and his companions. They may ****_not_**** go to Seraphimon's prison but if they do, I want to know what happens there. You are the only one that I trust to bring me the information. Be careful. Do not let yourself be seen.**

There was only one way that Duskmon could possibly answer that. _As you wish, my lord._ The thrill of how much his master trusted him would've been enough to send him winging through the world all on its own.

* * *

Cherubimon loathed Seraphimon with all of his twisted heart. If he could've stabbed the other Great Angel with some weapon that would destroy him for all time, beyond all possibility of rebirth, then he would've done so, and enjoyed every moment.

_They consider __**me**__ evil when he was the one who wanted to crush my Beast-Digimon underneath their heels._ Cherubimon would never forget what had happened that day, never forget the lance of betrayal in his heart when he realized those two who he'd considered friends thought of him as little more than their _pet_.

There would be revenge. He hadn't even begun to have it. All that he'd done until now was little more than the first cautious steps on that path. But he would have it, and the more he considered what was going on, the more he thought it might be worth allowing Ophanimon's Warriors to awaken Seraphimon.

_He's been sleeping all this time, rebuilding his strength. I'm certain he thinks he's ready to take me on. But I will have a few surprises for him._ Seraphimon could not know about those chosen to use the Spirits now. He was out of date, out of touch. And there would be no time for him to change that. Before Seraphimon could grasp what was going on, Cherubimon would make a point to finish him.

All of that data could be very useful as well. Cherubimon intended to savor it once he got his hands on it.

That would be Duskmon's task. He truly could trust no one else; his other servants had far too many flaws and failings to even consider them for this. Mercuremon wanted too much power and would have to be disposed of before he grew unmanageable. Ranamon didn't yet have her Beast Spirit, which made her far less useful than she could've been. While Arbormon had both of his, Cherubimon questioned the wisdom of the Spirits of Wood to choose him at all. And with Grottomon having lost his Beast-Spirit in the first place, Cherubimon agreed completely with Duskmon's opinion on his lifespan, or lack thereof.

Duskmon's mind was almost a perfect blend of Digimon and human, with just enough Digimon in there so that his memories of being human were clouded and uncertain. With his devotion to Cherubimon being paramount, he didn't try to question those times when his human memories filtered through. To Cherubimon's pleasure, he simply ignored them and continued with whatever he'd been told to do.

And what he did was serve Cherubimon's interests. Now would be no different.

**To Be Continued**

**Note:** Thank you for reading and I hope that you enjoyed the chapter. Please let me know what you thought of it if at all possible.


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